Bits and Bobs--season 1
by poxelda
Summary: I have gone into Mac-withdrawl, so I am going through and rewatching episode by episode and adding in my two cents worth. While the writers on the show are awesome sometimes we want more, right? Some will be close up of scenes in the story kinda getting into the characters' heads a little, some will be tags or maybe an AU bit here and there, who knows? ps. I am prone to whump Mac!
1. Chapter 1

Mac coughed as they sloshed to the van. It was chilly out and low fog danced in the dim moonlight on the deserted road. Mac and Jack kept grinning at each other. Not only had they survived, proving this was not a rerun of Cairo, but also that Mac held the damp glowing blue container containing the bioweapon. They had twelve hours until exfil in Vienna, all in all a good night.

Mac stopped in his tracks and glanced at Jack uneasily. Jack nodded sliding out his pistol. The van was dark and quiet, too quiet.

"Nikki?" Mac called his heart thumping with dread. If something happened to Nikki...He pushed past Jack and came around the back of the van. The doors were open and there was no sign of Nikki. "Nikki!" Mac yelled, looking around for any sign of where she was or if she...he sliced that idea off. She would be fine, she had to be.

"Mac?" Mac whirled to see a terrified Nikki move forward with her hands up. He heard Jack beside him. A man with a gun pointed at Nikki's head came into view.

"Give me the cannister." He said. Mac's mind whirled trying to come up with a way to keep Nikki safe, to distract the man so Jack could take him down.

"I'm sorry." Nikki said softly. Mac felt his heart squeeze.

"You just let her go, now." Jack said a dangerous edge to his voice. Mac could tell his partner was going to shoot the guy, he tensed ready to grab Nikki and drag her to safety. He heard a rustle of noise then Jack let out a grunt of pain. Mac whirled in time to see Jack fold to the ground out cold. Another man all in black that only left his dark eyes showing, pointed a pistol at Mac. Mac held out the bioweapon.

"Stay back" He yelled his gaze bouncing between the two guys.

"You drop that you'll kill millions." The man pointing a gun at Nikki's head said. Mac bit his lip. Jack was still out, he didn't see anything for a weapon. Mac was beginning to think this really was Cairo all over again.

"Let her go, or maybe I'll drop it and we'll all die." He said. His voice was steady.

"You won't kill her, but I will," the man said. In the end, there really was no debate. Mac knew full well how many could die, but he couldn't watch Nikki die, he couldn't. He remembered Pena's voice from EOD training "what can kill you now, what can kill you later." Nikki saw his choice in his eyes.

"No, Mac don't!" She screamed. Mac held out the cannister. The man snatched it.

"Now let her go." Mac said. The man turned to Nikki and shot her in the chest.

"NO!" He screamed running toward her as she flipped off the bridge. Mac heard the snap of a gun and something slammed into his chest, turning him and flipping him over the edge of the bridge. He slammed into the water and everything faded. He came to himself and desperately splashed his way to the surface. His left arm hung useless and numb bobbing in the water beside him. He desperately waved his soggy hair out of his eyes and scanned for Nikki. He didn't see her anywhere. He wanted to scream. Everything began to go black. Mac rolled over onto his back and forced himself to relax into a float. He closed his eyes and drifted away.

Jack woke up with a killer headache. He shook it away and scrambled up to his knee gun seeking the darkness and shadows He scowled. He was alone. Not good.

"Mac? Nikki?" He yelled. He was away of a weak splashing of water. He ran to the bridge and looked down. Mac was floating limply on the water. Jack noted the blood soaking his shirt and staining the water flowing around him. Jack didn't hesitate, he stepped back, put a foot on the edge of the bridge and jumped. He managed to land about five foot from Mac. He sliced through the water.

"Hey bud." Jack said pulling Mac up against him. Mac was pale, looking almost as white as his shirt by the moonlight. Jack could feel him shuddering. He shook Mac gently. "Mac, you with me, bud?" Mac moaned and his eyes opened to small slits. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. Jack sighed. He'd take it. He turned Mac and began to life rescue swim back to shore.

Mac moaned again when Jack got his footing grabbed him by his waist and began dragging him up the steep bank. Jack dug his heels in and grunted as he worked against gravity and Mac's dead weight. He was panting by the time he laid Mac on the tar of the road. Mac's eyes fluttered to half mast.

"Nikki?" He coughed. He reached out with his right hand and grabbed Jack's wrist as Jack bent to open his shirt. Jack looked into the blue eyes that were full of pain far worse than the bullet in his shoulder. Jack sighed.

"I don't know. Let's get you fixed up then we'll find her." Mac looked like he was going to argue, but then his hand dropped limp across his chest. Probably exhaustion more than agreement, Jack thought. Mac closed his eyes. His teeth were chattering.

"Nope, uh-uh you open those peepers. C'mon now." Jack insisted. Mac slowly opened his eyes. Jack smiled down. He opened Mac's shirt and winced as Mac arched his back a litte automatically trying to get away from Jack's hands. Jack carefully reached down and lifted Mac against him. He ran his hand along Mac's back and shook his head. No exit wound. Not good.

"Nikki…" Mac said softly his head leaning onto Jack's shoulder. Jack could hear the depth of naked pain in his voice, He gave Mac a careful quick hug. He gently lowered Mac back to the ground. Jack bent and tore at the sleeve on Mac's bloody shirt.

"Too bad you used your tie earlier…" Jack babbled, part to keep Mac awake, part to keep himself from freaking out. He jammed the soggy ball of shirt into the hole in Mac's arm. Mac let out a gasp of pain, his eyes drifting closed. Jack tried shaking him, but Mac was out for the count.

"Dammit!" He swore. He bent and lifted Mac's limp body in his arms. He staggered to the van and winced as he worked Mac longwise on the van's floor. "You should be happy you're out for all this, Mac." He mumbled. He reached under the computer-Nikki's computer. He shoved his own grief over the death of the vibrant beautiful woman down deep. His priority was Mac, as always. He pulled out a thick woolen blanket and neck pillow. They always kept them in the van when running surveillance. He was grateful for that more than ever as he wrapped his extremely pale friend in the blanket and put the pillow under his neck to cushion his head. Jack reached out and squeezed Mac's hand.

"Now you just rest, ol' son. I'll get you to the hospital and you are going to be fine. You are because today ain't Cairo day, got me. You're going to be fine." Jack slammed the doors shut and jumped into the van. He pulled out the sat phone in the tray beside the seat. He flipped the heat up to full blast as he listened intently to the ringing. It seemed like forever before Thornton answered.

"Uh...Patty we have a problem…" He moved the rearview mirror so he could watch Mac as he drove and talked. Mac was still out, but seemed to be shivering less. Jack clung to that as a lifeline for hope. He ground the pedal with his boot as he whipped toward the city listening to Thornton's instructions.

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Bozer studied his best friend as he stirred the waffle mix. Mac had only been home a week. He looked terrible. He was pale with dark circles under his eyes. His left arm was in a brace that held the arm to his side so he didn't move it. The stiff way he moved blared out that he was in pain, but Bozer knew he refused to take his pain medication because it helped him sleep. Mac didn't want to sleep because of nightmares. It seemed every time he drifted off the accident would play over and over. Nightmares where he woke up calling out, was not a new thing, but they had become more insistent and if volume was any indication, much worse. More worrying he laid on the couch listly flipping channels. His eyes, bloodshot from tears he tried to hide, were a million miles away reflecting the sinking hole of grief he'd fallen into. Bozer frowned.

He had never loved anyone like Mac loved Nikki, he just hadn't met the right one. If honest, Bozer had to admit he had been a little jealous, happy for his friend, of course, but jealous nevertheless. He opened the waffle maker and carefully poured just the right amount of mix. He smiled. Mac had repeatedly told Bozer he didn't have to make him breakfast every morning, but Bozer knew if he didn't Mac wouldn't eat at all, and he wanted his boy to know that he cared. The front door opened and Jack strolled in.

"Yo bros, what up?" Bozer grinned. He had been friendly with Jack ever since Mac came back from the army, but he was truly calling Jack a friend now. He had come over every day since Mac was out of the hospital. He was the only one who could get Mac to sleep and eat more than a bite or two. Bozer nagged and tried every guilt trip he could think of, but Jack-well Jack must have blackmail material or something. Mac argued, but always gave in to the sheer stubbornness of his friend. Bozer figured it was a guy-shared-combat thing. Best of all, Jack changed Mac's arm dressing every day. Bozer had been told how terrible it was, evidently something had broken off and impaled his friend's shoulder. Bozer didn't need to see that.

"Jack-eeeey!" He drawled reaching out and giving the older man a bro hug. Jack put a paper bag full of packages of dressings on the counter. He looked over to Mac who hadn't even noticed his entrance. Jack glanced at Bozer who shook his head sadly. Jack forced a smile.

"Those smell great." He said loudly, trying to get Mac's attention. No go.

"Why do you always come over when there's food?" Bozer asked playing along. Jack smiled but didn't deny it. Bozer plopped the thick waffle on a plate. He poured on strawberry topping he had made by hand from real strawberries. He then buried it in whip cream. Jack went to swipe a finger of whip cream. Bozer slapped his hand and glared at him. Jack smiled amused. Bozer carefully cut up the waffle then handed Jack the plate and a fork. Jack crossed to Mac and sat on the coffee table. Mac looked up at him startled.

"Hey Jack, when did you get here?" Mac asked. He went to sit up. Jack put the plate beside him and reached over and carefully helped. Jack did not miss the huff of pain from his partner. No meds then, which translated to no sleep. Jack put that on his morning to do list. Once Mac sat up he closed his eyes a second. Jack waited sure it was dizziness. The wound had been a through and through, but Mac had lost a lot of blood. When they had transferred him from surgery to his room, he had a bag of blood pouring in and two more on deck. He had received some in ER but Jack didn't know how much. Probably enough to count as a full oil change. Jack still shuddered thinking of how bad Mac looked by the time they pulled into the hospital. He pushed those thoughts away focusing on the man before him, reminding himself that Mac had made it. He was hurting but Jack knew he would be ok, eventually.

"What time is it?" Mac said opening his eyes and focusing on Jack's face. Jack made a show of looking at his watch. The pain in those baby blues was excruciating to see.

"Oh around breakfast o'clock." Jack said. He was rewarded by a weak smile that was polite. Mac looked at the plate and looked nauseous.

"I'm not hungry." Mac sighed.

"Don't care." Jack said. Mac looked at him with mild heat. Well at least that was something. Jack hoped for the day when he would get the full MacGyver glare as Mac mentally lopped off Jack's head. Mac sighed, his shoulders dropping.

"This is too much." He said softly.

"There is never too much of Bozer's homemade waffles." Jack said, his own stomach growling.

"Darn tootin'!" Bozer amened from the kitchen. He walked over and handed Jack a plate. Knowing how voracious the man was Bozer had given him two waffles. With a sad sigh of defeat, Mac accepted the plate from Jack and laid it carefully on his lap. He glanced up at Jack who was tearing into his breakfast like a tiger into gazelle steak. Mac looked over at Bozer.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Bozer was efficiently cleaning the kitchen.

"I ate earlier, I have to leave for work soon." Mac's eyes widened, he hadn't realized it was that late. Bozer finished putting away the strawberries and whip cream then came around the island. He was already in his work clothes. Mac looked down at his plate. He hadn't noticed that either. Some spy. With that thought his brain again played the footage of Nikki jerking from being shot and falling over backwards...Mac was startled by a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up into the soft kind eyes of one of his two best friends. Jack gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze of empathy.

"C'mon bud, your waffles are getting soggy." Mac nodded and speared a bite.

He ate it. He knew he loved it, but the hollowness he felt inside made it taste like ash.

"Jack, our boy's cray-cray, he likes it soggy." Bozer said as he gathered his keys from the front table.

"Seriously?" Jack asked with genuine surprise and a little disgust. Mac shrugged then closed his eyes against the pain that came with it. Bozer shot Jack a worried look.

"Don't worry, Boze, I got this." Bozer smiled in relief, waved and headed out the door. Jack smiled after him appreciating his being such a good friend to Mac. He turned to Mac and found Mac glaring at him. It took a few seconds to realize why. Mac was upset that his friends felt the need to take care of him, make him a project. Jack smiled and met Mac's gaze without flinching. Mac let out a sigh and ate more of his waffle. Jack didn't leave him alone until he'd eaten half. Jack took the plates into the kitchen and cleaned them. Mac leaned back and yawned. He was exhausted, he wished he could sleep without full color rewinds of Nikki dying. Jack came back over with two pain pills and a glass of water. Mac shook his head.

"I don't need those…" He began. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Mac, we've done this before, it's kinda becoming a daily ritual. Just take the damn pills for once, you know you're going to eventually." Mac sighed. He knew Jack was right, he just didn't want to sleep. Jack saw his reluctance and sat back down ducking his head until he met Mac's eyes. "Look, I know you don't want nightmares but you're hurting a lot, I can tell. That kind of pain isn't good. You have PT later and I know that's gonna suck enough with pain meds on board."

"Fine." Mac snarled. He snatched up the pills and downed them his eyes never leaving Jack's. He handed back the glass and opened his mouth as if Jack would check. He then leaned back, his chin jutted out in petulant protest. Jack nodded and brought the glass to the kitchen. He grabbed the bag of dressings. He went over to Mac's good side and leaned out an arm. Mac reached out and allowed him pull him to his feet. Jack held on as Mac swayed a little his eyes closed. Jack watched him swallow and prayed Mac wouldn't puke. Jack cold handle anything, of course, but puke was...nasty. Jack wrinkled his nose at the idea and walked behind Mac who slowly shuffled to his room. After Mac plopped onto the bed, Jack helped him out of his sling. Mac groaned as Jack helped him with the giant T-Shirt Mac wore. Mac sat his eyes closed. Jack could tell he was lost in waves of non-controlled pain. He hoped Mac's meds would kick in soon. Jack removed the wrapping and thick pads of dressing. He frowned at the small amount of blood and discharge on the dressing. When he checked the stitches he saw they were tight and intact. He frowned in sympathy. It probably leaked during a nightmare. He looked up to see Mac watching him.

"It's not too will hardly have a scar."

"Great." Mac said his eyes dropping to the floor, Jack could see the well of tears forming and knew that Mac had travelled the well worn path to memories of Nikki. Jack knew that right now even happy memories sliced like a knife. He again squeezed Mac's good shoulder, then carefully began to wash out the wound and rebandage it. Mac didn't talk, just sat staring at his hands in his lap. Jack leaned him forward and did the same to the back. He then wrapped the bandages tight and tied the gauze. He put the shirt back on, then helped Mac into the sling. It had taken about half an hour, enough time for the meds to kick in Mac was swaying his eyes half closed.

"Come on, Mac." Jack said softly. Mac slowly looked at him then turned to the bed. He stared at the bed like it was an enemy made of nails. He yawned but still paused.

"Don't worry I'll be here, " Jack said. Mac looked up at him with desperation. Jack nodded. "I'll wake you up before it gets bad." Mac nodded. Jack helped him lay down.

Mac stared up at the ceiling then at Jack silently asking a question. Jack squeezed his hand after pulling the covers up.

"Don't worry I'll be here, I promise." Mac weakly smiled his thanks. His eyes drooped closed and in seconds he was out. Jack sat watching him. Almost immediately Mac began to moan and twitch, but he settled down. Jack leaned back. He wished with all his heart he could erase the pain emotional and physical but he knew only time could. Jack smiled fondly at his sleeping partner. Didn't mean he and Bozer wouldn't be there every step helping it along.

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To say Riley was surprised to see Jack Dalton again would have been a vast understatement. Hurt that she thought long ago left behind stuck in her throat. To keep from showing it, something she'd had to learn in Supermax, she turned to face the young man that sat across from her. He was drop dead handsome with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He was dressed nice, professional.

"You aren't going to say anything to me?" Jack demanded. Riley turned her hurt boiling off to rage.

"What do you want me to say, Jack?" Jack actually had the nerve to look hurt. He went to grab the chair and slide it closer.

"Ok enough." The blonde man said. Riley's eyes widened in two part surprise. HIs voice was deeper than she expected and cracked with authority much older than his apparent age. Even more surprising, Jack deferred to him. Jack sat down backwards in the chair. Sniping with hot accusation she said, "I thought you were a tile salesman."

"Do I look like a tile salesman?" As he moved the chair closer he started babbling about the CIA.

"Jack" the blonde guy said, but years of history and not all of it good bubbled up. Before Riley could really let go, the guy bellowed, "enough! You two are on a time out from now on." They both looked at him surprised, but quieted. Riley turned to face the younger man. She guessed he was about the same age as she was, but his eyes looked much, much older.

"So you're CIA?" She asked unimpressed.

"We're so secret the CIA doesn't even know we exist." Riley's eyes widened.

"Your DXS?" They both stared at her in surprise. Jack grinned and looked at the other man whose mouth quirked at the edges.

"Told you she was good." Jack crowed. Oddly his pride hurt, Riley decided to ignore him. She leaned forward to listen as the blonde man, MacGyver as it turned out, lay out the story of why they needed her help. Riley smiled and leaned back. If prison taught her anything it was never to give anything without getting something.

"Fine I'll help you, but I want a commuted sentence like zero days served...and access to tech."

"I can't do that." Riley jutted out her chin.

"Are you kidding me? DXS can move Christmas." Mac leaned forward. He studied her. Riley figetted, she felt like he was inside her head weighing and measuring her like a tool.

"I can't promise anything." He leaned toward her. She met his steady gaze and leaned in to him. He puzzled her, but came no where near intimidating her. She could feel Jack's eyes boring into her left scalp. He was probably surprised she would haggle when she could get out of a place as hellish as this one. As always, Jack was clueless.

"Did you do it?" Mac asked. Riley didn't blink.

"Yes, Mr. MacGyver have you ever done something for the right reasons that you regretted? Yes, I did it and I would do it again in a heartbeat." There was a long moment of silence, then Mac smiled and sat back. Riley felt like she'd passed some sort of test. She found herself liking this guy.

"I can't promise anything."

"I haven't said I'd do it yet." She declared. She'd be damned if she was going to beg. Mac studied her a second then leaned in again.

"You said you did something good to help someone despite landing in here. Do yourself a favor come with us and you can thank me later."

"Thank you for what?" He just watched her a mysterious smile on his face.

"Exactly what is it you do?" She asked. To her surprise he leaned forward and wrapped her hands in his.

"You know how you how you hack computers?" She nodded. To her shock her handcuffs sprang open. He held up an unwound paper clip. "I hack everything else." Riley grinned rubbing her wrists. The job they had for her was rediculously simple. She had them into Nikki's files in under a minute. She turned around crowing about how easy it was. She wanted to prove herself to them, she wanted to stay with them. When Thornton said she was to go directly back to prison, Mac stood up for her.

Riley watched them go back and forth trying to add in comments to aid in Mac's argument. Frankly the dark-haired woman scared the hell out of Riley. In prison, Riley had learned to spot who was a threat immediately. Although she was dressed in bland business suit Riley knew she was more dangerous than anyone else she ever met. Finally Mac put his foot down.

"Look you know I use everything in my surroundings as a tool, I need her." Riley watched as he stared Thornton down.

"We'll take responsibility." Jack said quickly. Thornton sent him a very unimpressed glare.

"She is our responsibility." Mac reiterated. Thornton was visibly pissed.

"Fine, if she's your responsibility get yourselves to San Francisco." Riley thought that was being unnecessarily petty but didn't care. Inside she was flyiing, freedom!

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It hurt worse than the gunshot. Mac met Nikki's eyes in surprise. His flash of joy was punctured by her turning to flee. Mac yelled for Jack as he knifed through the crowd with a single minded purpose. He followed her to a narrow alley and ran full tilt after her. HIs shoulder grew in agony. He gritted his teeth and ignored the rasping of his breath. Mac knew he wasn't anywhere near 100% yet but didn't let that slow him. He yelled her name. Why was she running? The probably answer was acid in the pit of his stomach that he didn't want to acknowledge. He burst out onto the street and saw her get into a black car, helped by none other than the man who had shot him. Mac yelled her name again worry louder than anger in his voice. The man turned and shot at Mac. Mac swore under his breath spun and ran back down the alley with the man in close pursuit. Mac noticed a folded emergency ladder. He stopped running, climbed a step and pulled the bolt holding the stairs up. The man came closer. He said something threatening Mac hardly heard as he waited the man to take a step closer. Mac reached up pulled another pin and the metal stairs dropped to knock the guy out. Mac stared at him a second catching his breath. Jack came out of a door his gun seeking targets. Mac looked at him. Jack frowned in alarm. Mac was a really bad color of sallow pale and his eyes were wide with some sort of trauma.

"Are you ok?" He asked as he bent to restrain their prisoner. Mac didn't answer but turned and sprinted down to the road again. Jack yelled his name and followed leaving the bound unconscious man behind. Mac was spinning looking up and down the street desperation on his face. "Hey what's wrong, man? It's over."

"No!" Mac almost yelled. Jack's worry went up another rung. Before he could say anything Mac looked at him with a stricken look. "It's Nikki, Nikki's alive." He said. Jack stared at Mac his alarm now at the top of the pole at a five alarm fire.

"Really?" He asked. Mac nodded and ran both hands through his hair as if he were trying to keep his head from exploding. "Hey, Mac…" Jack began gently. Mac looked up with an unreadable expression.

"We have to get him somewhere to question him." Jack nodded and pulled the hand he was reaching out to his friend back. Mac was folding his most recent trauma and putting it in the bottom drawer for later. They returned to gather their prisoner.

Mac paced behind the van as Jack threatened the man. Jack nailed higher between the man's legs getting the man's undivided attention. All bravodo left him at that point. Mac couldn't wait any longer he had to know.

"What do you have on her? How did you make her help you?" Jack glanced up at his partner. He could see the agony behind Mac's eyes and voice. The man smiled deciding to twist the knife as he stabbed Mac hard in the gut.

"I didn't do anything." He sneered.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not, look in her bank account she was wired five million dollars." Jack watched hope dim from his partner's voice.

"She paid you to help her, you shot her." Mac said.

"Yeah, getting away was part of the deal." Mac's mask cracked. In a small voice he asked,

"And me? What about me?" Jack wanted to punch the man so much, and then Nikki-the bitch! Not for the betrayal he felt, but for making the soul cracking pain to return to Mac's eyes. Their prisoner shrugged obviously enjoying himself at Mac's expense.

"She didn't want to kill you, but if things got messy she understood." Jack watched as a shutter fell over Mac's face. Another life altering betrayal. Mac turned to Riley his face and voice all business.

"Did you get enough?" Riley had watched this with wide eyes looking down wishing she hadn't seen it all. What a bitch this Nikki was! She glanced at Jack seeing the same rage she had seen years before before he beat the crap out of her father. Riley assured Mac she had. They dialed Nikki and everything the prisoner had said was confirmed by Nikki herself. Mac's eyes dropped to the ground. He glanced at Jack then turned and walked to the side of the van. Jack frowned worried that he would fall into even worse despair than he had been. He put duct tape over the prisoner's mouth with enough force to show that if the man even twitched wrong Jack would end him. The man looked back in fear. He understood and knew Jack would make it long and very painful.

Jack crossed to Mac trying to think of something to say. Riley said she couldn't find out where Nikki had gone. Mac had gotten that far away look he always got when his mental wheeles were skidding at the speed of light. He looked up excited remembering some book thing that told them Nikki was still in San Fran. Jack eyed Mac trying to decide if the younger man was ready for what was coming. Mac turned and climbed into the passenger seat of the van without comment. Jack kept eye balling him on the way to the airport. A couple of times he went to open his mouth to ask the kid if he was alright, but Mac's pale face told him all he needed to know. Of course he wasn't ok, but he was focused on bigger things, like a billion or whatever year old virus.


	2. episode 2 metal saw

**The Rising (cont.)**

Jack's heart pounded faster than his feet as he jumped from the helicopter and ran across the median to where Mac lay curled up on the road. The truck burned, but at least wasn't spewing out debris like it had been. Debris that had almost taken Mac's head off, Jack thought. Mac was shakily pulling himself to sitting. Jack slid beside him.

"Mac, you ok?" Mac held up the bioweapon container and smiled. Mac was pale and as Jack helped him to his feet he saw how stiff the younger man was holding his left arm. Mac was pale and more than a little dazed. He grinned at Jack.

"Yeah! Savin' the world in style, my man!" They slapped hands and bumped nuckles. Mac handed off the container to DXS agents in blue biohazard suits. The surge of adrenaline began to leave him. He began to sway and shake. Jack who had stayed close put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "C'mon there's a beer with your name on it." Mac looked at him blankly. "Ok, hold up a mnute." Jack ran off. Mac nodded and his knees gave out. He winced as they smacked into tar. A not-Jack form came and stood over him talking, Mac just stared up at him blankly. Jack ran up and clapped the man on the shoulder and spoke. Mac heard the words but they didn't penetrate the thick gauze that seemed to engulf his brain.

"It's ok Norm, I got him. Thanks bud." The man waved and went to join the group of milling agents. Jack bent and lifted Mac to his shakey feet. He ducked under Mac's right arm. Mac leaned against him feeling like he was a rubber band. Jack kept up a stream of talk to help Mac focus.

"I managed to nick on of the good vehicles, I didn't think you'd really up for a helicopter ride, especially after your parachute trick, how did you make that anyway?" Mac blinked and looked over at him, taking a minute to catch up.

" Definitely no helicopter." Mac said with a close-eyed shudder. Jack smiled glad to see Mac coming out of his shock. By the time they reached the large black Espalade, Mac was walking on his own. His stiffness and the way he held his hand over his old bullet wound told Jack how much he was hurting. Mac turned back to the crash site behind him, his brain still not grasping everything he'd just done. His face fell, Jack could see the ghost of Nikki crawl into sad blue eyes. He stood on the sideboard and pounded on the roof. Mac turned wincing at the motion.

"Yo, Mac you want beer or not?" Mac gave him a week smile, nodded and climbed into the tall vehicle with a moan of pain. Jack put on his aviator shades and grinned over to Mac. "So where to, kemosabe?" Mac looked out the window his face slowly sinking into sadness.

"Home." He said softly. Jack reached over and grabbed his shoulder. He imediately let go when Mac flinched away his hand coming up as he yelped in pain. "Whoops, sorry bud, my bad. C'mon we need to celebrate! We just saved billions of lives."

"And put Nikki away." Mac said a faraway look on his face. Jack frowned. He couldn't read Mac. Was he happy she was in jail? Tore up? Mac turned toward him with a small smile. "I have some cold beer at home and Bozer said he left some fried chicken for us." Jack grinned and revved the engine turning the Ford back onto the road.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" He whooped. Mac pulled out his phone. "Who are you calling?"

"Riley." Mac said "she's part of the team now." Jack nodded, his smile disappeared as he turned to Mac with a serious look.

"Is there enough chicken?" Mac rolled his eyes.

"Jack, this is Bozer." Jack laughed.

"In that case, maybe we should invite Patty too."

 **Episode 2 Metal Saw**

Jack left Phoenix his face hurting from smiling while he reassured Thornton. He hadn't lied, exactly. He had just exaggerated a littlle hiding his own concern about Mac. He regretted telling Mac he wasn't bringing his A game, but Jack hadn't been wrong. He was about to turn to go home, when he stopped. He sighed, turned on the other signal and turned toward Nikki's place. He wasn't surprised to see Mac's orange jeep parked outside her building. Jack let out a frustrated sigh. He had followed Mac here eveyday for the past two weeks, a couple of times more than once a day. He decided it was time for an intervention and pulled over to park.

Mac was going through Nikki's stuff. He was so intent on his search that he didn't hear Jack come in. Jack shook his head. Not good.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. Mac jumped and spun holding his chest in surprise. Mac smiled.

"You gave me a heart attack." Jack folded his shades away remaining unamused. He chided Mac on coming here every day for the past two days. Mac looked away and played with something on a shelf. Without breaking tone, Jack said.

"Stop playing with that." Mac looked up like a kid caught in the cookie jar. Jack finished gently calling Mac out. Mac nodded and admitted Jack was right.

Jack nodded. He knew he was right. He knew Mac's brain was stuck in a rut and wouldn't jump out of it until he processed what happened and moved on. He was about to tell the younger man that when his phone rang.

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Jack stared out the window replaying the fight he had almost died in. Sarah had saved his life that day. Tears burned his eyes, he breathed out forcing them to stay unshed. Jack didn't know if he ever had a love of his life for real, but if he did Sarah would be it. _We're getting out of here alive. Don't say anything you'll regret._ The look she gave him was one of hope, hope he would, hope that the bright sparks between them would come into the air and build into a blaze. Jack closed his eyes. He had almost spoken the words, but he didn't. He was young and dumb. He knew she would always be there, there would be time. No, he did not say anything he would ever regret, but that silence, that hung around his heart like a solid rock of regret.

"Hey," Mac said as he slid into the seat across from Jack. Jack looked up not hiding his misery. Mac put his hand on Jack's arm. "Are you ok?" Jack didn't answer, afraid that he would burst into tears. Mac kept looking at him his face showing gallons of concern.

"I was just thinking of Belize." Jack said around the lump in his throat.

"When you were pinned down by soldiers and Sarah saved you?" Mac asked. Jack nodded and looked out the window a long minute. Mac waited silently.

"I never came so close to coming home in a pine box in my entire life. If it wasn't for that woman…" Jack's tears got heavier, his eyes turned red wanting to shed them. He looked at Mac with one of the most honest naked expressions Mac had ever seen from his friend. "If it wasn't for her I would never have made it back...in time for my Dad's funeral." Jack's voice tightened as he squeezed out the last words. Thinking of his dad made the pain worse. He looked at Mac. Mac gently put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"We're going to get her out of there." Jack nodded taking a deep breath. There was a promise in Mac's voice, and Jack knew Mac always kept his promises.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

 _Fiancee_ the word shredded Jack. He managed to swallow the pain enough to stick on a happy smile. He endured the guy hug from George? Jeff? Whatever. He managed to stutter out a reply to the man's emotional gratitude. What a drip. Jack told himself. He wrapped Sarah into his arms closing his eyes, taking in the smell of sweat, gun powder and sweet smell of Sarah. They fit together so perfectly. _No wonder you like her, she's a female you._ As always Mac read him too well. He remembered feeling her cry on his neck when he had stopped her from blowing away Barrios Jack's mind flew through images of what could have been. Waking up beside her, a passel of little Jacks or little Sarahs, Jack would be fine with either...where else was he ever going to find a woman who got him, understood his work, he didn't have to lie to? Not that he ever could anyway, she knew him too well. Jack pulled her closer, trying to keep from breaking down, wailing or outright becoming a puddle on the ground.

"I tried to tell you," She whispered. He took a deep breath. Time to man up.

"It's ok." He lied. He smiled at her watching her leave. She took her _fiance's_ hand. Jack waved, his smile heavier than carrying a car. He felt his feet following her, he wanted to go up after them on the stairs, drag her down, tell her he was wrong, beg...he stopped a swallowed sob leaking out. He held onto the handrail to keep from face planting. It wasn't his place anymore. She couldn't be his any more. Jack was sure his knees were going to fail him.

"Hey…" Mac said softly at his elbow. Jack looked up the stairs and almost sat on them. A thought occurred to him and he began to laugh. Mac looked at him wondering if he had crossed the line into hysteria. "What are you laughing at?" Jack put a hand on his young friend's shoulder.

"I just realized I am really bad with women." Mac joined in laughing. Jack turned to him amused. "What are you laughing for? You're just as bad." Mac's face fell. They both were lost in their mutual misery for a minute. Mac slapped Jack on the back.

"At least we have each other." He said. Jack raised an eyebrow, before he could snark out a reply Mac,

"Don't look at me I knew how creepy is sounded when I said it." They both went into a giggling fit. Mac smiled and invited Jack over to taste Bozer's meat-art or whatever. Jack gladly said yes. He seriously needed to not be alone tonight. When they got there Mac challenged him to a game of one on one. They played, both glad to blow off steam while Bozer showed off his cooking prowess for Riley. They playfully dissed each other, always competitive like brothers. Jack felt himself letting go of pain. The regrets would always sting, but he knew he'd be ok, eventually.


	3. episode 3 Awl

**Episode 3: Awl**

Mac hit and hit hard. The wind whooshed out and for a few minutes he thought he'd never get another one. Sucking in air at last he arched his back when pain slammed into his lower right flank. He glanced over at Jack and they grinned and laughed. Mac held his side, pain threatening to steal his breathing again. Jack said he could cross pooping his pants off his bucket listt. Mac looked up at the five stories they had just jumped out of and laughed again just happy to survive. It really hadn't been a good plan, he thought, but like they say any landing you can walk away from…

"Hey, you ok Mac?" Mac looked at Jack. Jack was back on his feet leaning his hands on his knees for support.

"Yeah." Mac grunted. He tried bending to stand up and fell back yelping in pain.

"Mac?" Jack staggered towards him. Mac had to pause a minute to catch his breath. He fished under the body bag he'd landed on-better on than in-and pulled out a piece of concrete the size of a baseball. He closed his eyes and threw the rock away.

"That's gonna leave a mark," Jack said worry creeping into his voice. He held out a hand. Mac took a deep breath and braced himself. Jack pulled him up. Mac moaned and almost kept going doing a header to the ground. Jack managed to keep him upright. Mac slowly straightened holding his side. He pulled up his shirt and winced at the thick dark stain along his size. Before he could say anything, Jack came over and pressed on it. Mac let out a truncated yell of pain, his knees buckling and the world flip-flopping.

"Whoops, sorry bud, my bad," Jack said, again catching Mac. "Just had to see if anything is broken, had to decide to wait for those sirens or skedadle." Mac blinked up at him confused. Then he heard it, the howl of police and firetrucks speeding toward the building now completely engulfed in flame.

"Let's get out of here." Mac gasped. He slowly lurched toward the stolen pick-up they had boosted, needing the paints in the back to make a bomb. Jack flanked his partner ready if the younger man took another tumble. He had the truck running by the time Mac painfully dragged his sore body in. Jack drove off in a cloud of dirt and flying stones.

"That was a close one." Mac said leaning back. He looked over at Jack, "fighting Putin in space?" He asked his eyebrow raised. Jack grinned.

"Hell yeah! That man needs a beat down and in space...it's purely poetic." Mac " lifted his head laughing.

"Poetic? Yeah you know since the Russians compete for getting to space…" Seeing Mac's amused disbelief, "Oh, nevermind…"

"You think it'd be fun." Mac said.

"Absolutely, you don't?"

"How would you even fight him? You'd both have to be wearing suits so neither one would feel punches, you could use knives but then he could stab you and you'd die of suffocation and freeze…" Mac trailed off at Jack's glare.

"Let me have my dreams." Jack snorted. Mac looked out the passenger's window. He was breathing easier, the initial shock wearing off.

"So what's on your bucket list?" Jack asked. Mac shrugged.

"Never really thought about it." He said. He closed his eyes suddenly very tired. It had been a long couple of days.

"Why not?" Mac turned his head surprised at the seriousness of his partner.

"Why would I? I just worry about making it through the day."

"That's why you have one." Jack insisted. Mac frowned at him not getting the logic. Jack took a deep breath glancing out the side mirror as he slid into highway traffic. Their exfil was in an hour, they would just about make it. He saw the puzzled expression on Mac's face. "Look if you don't dream about the future what are you going to do when you get there? It helps you fight to cross off a goal, look forward to crossing off things you might regret before it's time to make final peace with death." Mac frowned.

"So you're going to live longer because you want to punch Putin in space?"

"He does have a punch face." Mac nodded.

"Fair enough." They were quiet lost in their own thoughts.

"So?" Jack asked.

"So what? My bucket list? I have a hard enough time living day to day."

"That's no way to plan out the rest of your life, that's looking at the trees and missing the beautiful vista of the forest." Mac shrugged settling back to nap.

"I'm all about improvising, you know taking it as it comes?"

"And having regrets when you die?" Jack asked seriously.

"I'll be dead." Mac said leaning against the window. Pain aside, he felt pretty good. Another mission survived. He took a deep breath. Jack opened his mouth to ask another question but stopped himself when he saw Mac was almost asleep. Jack shook his head. It saddened him that his younger friend didn't plan ahead to the future. Jack sighed. He needed to talk to his dad.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac sank back part because he had managed to bring Ralph from the dead and part because the world was spinning.

"You know it's funny, I'm glad he's still alive but I still want to kill him." Mac began to giggle. The other three looked at him as his laughter bordered on a hysterical belly laugh.

"Uh...Mac? Are you ok?" Riley asked sharing a worried look with Jack. Jack knelt beside his friend. He was surprised to see how big Mac's pupils were. Mac's laughter turned in a roll of coughing. Jack put a hand on his shoulder. "Jack he put his mask on Ralph and was coughing when he came out." _Dead in five minutes, unconscious in two._

Jack's heart thumped. He shook Mac gently.

"Hey partner? You with me?" Mac's head flopped backwards as he studied Jack for a long minute he reached out and touched Jack's hair.

"You're...you're a kewpie doll…"Mac started laughing. Jack looked over at Riley and mouthed the words kewpie doll. Riley shrugged, she had no idea what one was either.

"Isn't that the stuff they huff for a high?" Ralph asked weakly.

"Shut u…wait, what?" Jack glared at Ralph. Ralph sat up with Riley's help moaning in pain.

"Huff, you know snort? For a high?" Ralph rasped. Jack looked at Mac who had stopped laughing and was reaching out into the air for something only he could see.

"How long does it last?" Riley asked. Ralph shrugged then yelped in pain.

"Only a few minutes." Jack began to chuckle, Mac was gonna be tripping hell's bells? This was going to be fun.

"C'mon partner, " Jack said getting Mac to his feet. Mac staggered then fell back to his knees. He began laughing again.

"Sooo round…" Riley looked at Jack with an amused expression. Jack shrugged dragging Mac to his feet this time holding him up with a tight grip. "You see that? See that?" Mac slurred.

"No, bud, I don't see anything."

"The world...spinning, round and round...whoooeee." Jack had a hard time holding onto Mac as the blonde leaned over putting his hands out like he was flying.

"Ok, bud, let's get into the car." Mac giggled.

"Not a car, stupid, Sluuuv...suuul...SvC…" Mac frowned, "No that's not right…"

"SUV?" Riley offered. Mac put a shaking finger on his nose and pointed at Riley. He leaned forward to Jack and said in a low whisper as if she couldn't hear him.

"She's pretty smart…" Jack nodded

"Yes she is." He agreed.

"And smartly pretty…" Mac said tilting sideways as Jack leaned him against the SUV's side so he could open the door.

"Ok, that's enough, get in." Mac paused to slap Jack playfully on the face.

"Such a daddy…" He slurred. Jack rolled his eyes. Ralph was passed out in the back seat, Riley was leaning forward trying to grab Mac to help him into the vehicle. Mac's face suddenly took on a serious look. "I...I don' feel so good…" he burped before bending over and puking. Jack had just managed to jump out of the way and still keep a hold on the sagging MacGyver. Mac looked up at him more than a little green. His eyes closed and he put a hand on his forehead, moaning in pain. He looked up at Jack and frowned, confused. Jack patted Mac on the back as he and Riley hauled him into the passenger's seat.

"Quick hangover." Riley mused. Jack buckled Mac's seatbelt looking at his friend who was blinking slowly and shaking his head. He closed his eyes and swallowed. Jack hesitated waiting to see if Mac was going to be sick again. Mac slowly opened his eyes and looked at Jack in misery. Jack patted him on the shoulder.

"That's why you always drink in moderation and keep garbage gas masks on." Jack said stepping back to close the door. Mac glared at him and held the bridge of his nose.

" 'ate you." He mumbled.

"I know you do." Jack grinned as Mac winced at the closing door.

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What do you write to a man who stepped out the door on your birthday and never came back? Mac mused glaring at the blank paper in his lap. Mac sighed looking at Jack's back as the man stood drinking his beer watching the small fire in the pit. Mac knew his partner wanted nothing more than to help him with this. Mac considered lettiing him, he considered letting Jack write it and he'd just sign it. Mac scowled. It was his fault after all, _If I had a chance to talk to my dad one more day, I'd do anything._ Mac didn't hate his father. Not really. He was angry, furious. He was more hurt. Mac wanted to demand an answer the question that haunted him, Why? Why did he leave?

Gramps had told him his dad had his reasons. What reasons? Mac felt his hand shake. Reasons more important than him. Over the years especially when he moved in with the Bozers, he'd lie-to those who asked, and to himself. When he'd be crying in his bed, softly so as not to wake anyone, from the day's bullying, missing his mom, or just seeing shadows as monsters, he'd tell himself stories about his heroic Dad off saving the world. He'd be an astronaut redirecting an asteroid sacrificing himself for the world, or a doctor in Africa saving billions of lives with medical treatments he'd created himself, or a hiker lost in the Himalayas living with natives trying desperately to find a way home…

Eventually, as all childhood stories do, Mac accepted what his father was. An asshole who abandoned his son. The asshole part came and went depending on how angry or hurt Mac was feeling at the time. Mac sighed. It would have been better if he could hate his dad, if his dad had been terrible and abusive. But he had been a loving caring father, Mac had enough happy memories of times with his dad to rub the wound raw. Jack looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. Fine, Mac growled to himself. He leaned over and began to scrawl with the pencil, trying to remember more good than bad.


	4. Episode 4: Wire Cutter and 5: Toothpick

Episode 4: Wire Cutter

Jack was fuming. He muttered to himself as he clenched and unclenched the

steering wheel. He really wanted to punch someone. He frowned, admitting to himself

the one he wanted to punch was his partner and best friend. He wouldn't really hurt

MacGyver, too much. Just enough to maybe knock some sense into his head. Jack let

out a frustrated huff. He wished he could say he was surprised when Bozer called to tell

him what he'd found on Mac's computer. He'd been hunting Nikki. That worried Jack,

but that isn't what pissed him off. The fact that his partner LIED to his face about it,

worse than that he had promised to let other agencies take over. Mac never broke his

promises until now. It felt like a sinkhole had opened under the bedrock Jack stood on.

Trust was everything in this business. Mac held things close, and Jack knew almost

nothing about his partner's family past and worst hurts, but this was different, this

affected them in the field. Not too long ago, Jack had told Mac he wasn't on his A game.

Mac had seemed to snap out of it. Jack should have known better. He trusted Mac with

his life, without hesitation, that would never change, but how was Jack suppose to keep

the kid alive when he's distracted by the knots inside?

He trusted Mac with his life unless it involved Nikki. Despite what Mac said, Jack

knew he wasn't over Nikki. True the love he had felt was gone, but hurt and guilt had

filled the hole it left behind. Jack hit the steering wheel again. As a southern gentleman

it went against the grain to lay hands on a woman, he really, really wanted to punch

Nikki for real. What she did to Mac...Jack forced his jaw to relax before he snapped

teeth in half. And the fact that Mac felt guilty? That was insane. Insane and so Mac.

Jack thought that if there was a surprise blizzard in summer, the kid would find a way to

make it his fault. The betrayal of Nikki, the fact that he hadn't seen any signs put Mac's

whole idea about the world into question. He would never say so, but he knew Mac felt

like he should have been aware of Nikki's lies because he had a long experience with

abandonment. What worried Jack was the thought that Mac would give up trusting all

together, afraid that he again would be blinded by love. Like he should be a robot. The

kid is so smart he's an idiot sometimes.

Jack pulled up to Mac's house and paused taking a deep breath. He felt more

worried than angry. Why didn't Mac just be upfront with him? Did the kid ever think he

wouldn't have his back, even when he was being an idiot? Jack took another breath. He

wouldn't let this slide until the kid knew that. Jack smiled as he got out of the car and

walked to Mac's front door. He'd forgiven the kid really. Well, mostly. He thought of Mac

facing all of his friends and his boss and how he would explain himself. Jack smiled as

he entered the house and saw none other than Patricia Thornton sitting primly on the

ledge of the fireplace. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Episode 5: Toothpick

Jack was getting a sore ass. He wished he'd brought the blow up donut he

normally brought on surveillance missions, but he hadn't expected one follow up to a

clue to result in 57 hours in a shitty car with his neurotic best friend. He glanced over at

Mac whose intent gaze hadn't left the window where their source had said Nikki was

staying. They had already been in the empty apartment, of course. Mac had found

enough evidence to confirm Nikki was living there, or at least had been. Jack hadn't

asked what he'd found, but he didn't look hard to see tension and pain in the man's blue

eyes to know it was an intimate thing between them. Since then Mac had been virtually

monosyllabic staring like a hunting dog on the window on the second story. Jack could

almost feel him vibrating, ready to jump through the windshield if he had to. Jack

decided to up the ante.

"So tell me about this Cindy?" Jack said casually. He smiled when Mac's head

whipped around. Jack pretended to be distracted by the Portuguese chips, or whatever

they were.

"I don't kiss and tell." Mac said, trying to cut the conversation off before it grew

in a direction he didn't like. Poor child, as if.

"So there was kissing." Jack pressed not even trying to stop his delight from

showing. Mac let out a frustrated sigh.

"There's nothing to tell." He said.

"So she's that bad…" Jack said, refusing to let it go. Mac shrugged.

"No, she's not bad. She's smart, funny...beautiful. She's pretty great, actually."

Jack shook his head wanting to thump his partner on the head.

"But she's not your psychotic ex-ex girlfriend who tried to kill billions." Mac glared

at him. Jack met the younger man's gaze with a steady gaze. He said it with caring, but

didn't soften the message. Mac went to answer when he ducked his head, pointing.

"There she is!" He was out the door a heartbeat before Jack.

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Mac closed his eyes against the pain of sparks stinging his arms. The terrible

electric rubber smell was strong enough to burn his throat and eyes. He held on to the

metal bars until he could feel blood ooze into his palms. He cried out trying to duck out

of the brightest fountain of sparks. He closed his eyes as they flew around a corner, his

arms were shaking with strain. He winced as hot metal stung his forehead. He gasped

for air and winced as a hot spark burned his tongue. He turned his head away and tried

to suck in a breath. The speed of the train wanted to suck it back out. He thought he felt

the shaking of the train getting weaker, the train getting slower. Mac dearly hoped so,

and he hoped it would be before crashing into the Frankfort depot.

Jack whooped.

"It's working! It's working, Mac!" He yelled loudly into the open hatch. He squinted

but couldn't see anything past the billowing black smoke. Jack looked up and saw the

cement brake wall of Frankfurt coming at them, slower than it was before but

uncomfortably fast for Jack. He was jolted back against the wall of the engine. He

braced himself and closed his eyes. He slowly opened one, then both when he realized

they were stopped. He grinned.

"Yes! Yes! Mac! Hey Mac, you ok down there?" He yelled bending over the

hatch. He tried waving the pungeunt smoke away, but it was still too thick to see

through. Fear pounded with his fast heart beat. "Mac? Mac? He leant in closer ready to

jump down after his friend. The idea of a dead MacGyver was unacceptable. Then he

saw movement. "Mac!" Jack breathed out. Mac slowly pulled himself up to the hatch.

Jack could hear him grunting in pain. "Mac, you ok?" He asked putting out his hands

waiting for Mac to get close enough to pull him up. Mac turned and grinned at him. Jack

grinned back laughing. Once again they had escaped the chewing teeth of death. Jack

grabbed Mac's arms and hauled him up. Mac staggered forward. Jack helped him sit

against the wall. Mac had black soot almost covering his blonde hair, face and hands.

Under that he could see red pinpricks on his hands and face. There were small holes in

the leather jacket. Jack always teased Mac about the ugly well worn thing, but he knew

Mac wore it to protect him in situations like this. Jack was glad Mac had at least that

wisdom. Some of the spark burns were still smoking. Jack smacked at them to put them

out. He frowned when Mac hissed in pain and flinched away.

"Hey, are you ok?" He asked. Mac looked up at him and smiled. He look

exhausted.

"Just a little crispy." He said. Jack didn't buy it. He moved and took off Mac's

coat. He was surprised Mac let him. Mac moaned as he lifted his arms. Mac closed his

eyes. After the coat was off he lifted his shaking hands. Jack's alarm raised. He

grabbed Mac's hands looking at the open bloody palms. Mac squirmed in pain. Jack

loosened his grip. He looked up into Mac's eyes. He smiled.

"Well you're fingers are still attached at least." Mac chuckled.

"At least there's that." The bleeding seemed to be mostly stopped. He let Mac's

hands go. Mac leaned back against the metal breathing deeply. Jack plopped beside

him. He held out his fist, Mac bumped it.

"Your're gonna be sore." Jack advised.

"I'm already sore." Mac said. They both found themselves laughing.

"Well, maybe you'll need some time to recover." Jack said. Mac looked over at

his friend, waiting for it, "I mean Katarina only has to testify for a couple of days..and

you probably won't be that sore…"

"Jack…"

"...to go sightseeing." Jack finished with a wide innocent expression. Despite

himself Mac remebered that kiss, and he wanted to kiss her again. Jack's laugh chased

away the bashful smile Mac hadn't realized he'd had. Mac looked down at his hands

which were still trembling. A bevy of mixed feelings sloshed through his gut. He thought

about what Jack had said, what he had told Katarina. And that kiss..Mac sighed. He

looked over at Jack whose face was tilted forward with expectation. Mac rolled his eyes.

"You might be right, he admitted." Jack grinned in honest delight. He put an arm

around Mac's shoulders and squeezed.

"That's my boy!" It took him a minute to realize Mac's eyes were closed against

pain. He let go. "Uh, sorry, my bad." Mac took a few steadying breaths.

"It's fine just some really pulled muscles, let's go find the others." Mac said stiffly

rising to his feet. Jack was up in one motion and helped Mac stay upright.

"Now on your first date…" Jack began. Mac glared at him as he leaned on the

older man.

"We aren't going to be dating." He said.

"Yeah, but I hear there's this super romantic castle up in the most beautiful

scenic mountains…" Jack said. Mac groaned.

"You aren't going to let this go are you?" He said with tired resignation.

"What kind of wingman would I be if I did?" Jack enthused.

"Wingman? I told you we aren't going to be dating."

"Probably." Jack added. To Mac's glare, he replied, "you can't write it off, amigo.

Weirder things have happened." Mac again rolled his eyes. A small yelp of pain

escaped as he hit the cement of the platform. Jack steadied him and waited concern on

his face.

"I'm fine." Mac reassured him. Mac groaned with relief when Jack helped him sit

on one of the wooden benches. They were quiet staring at the still smoking engine.

"Weirder things have happened." Jack replied softly, realizing the closeness to

certain and painful death they had come.

"Yeah." Mac agreed in the same tone. Jack looked over feeling as tired as Mac

looked.

"So you are going to take her out?" Jack asked seriously. Mac shrugged and

winced. He thought about the kiss, those huge blue eyes, the Marilyn hair…

"Maybe." He finally said. Jack smiled and held out a fist. Mac fistbumped it. They

slouched back watching at the platform filled with chattering people.

"That's my boy." Jack said softly.


	5. Episode 6: Wrench

Episode 6: Wrench

Jack fidgeted. He'd gotten up and paced until Riley told him he was distracting

her from putting together the microscopic bits of a broken sim card. Jack wished he

could go outside and push the plane faster. He was worried Mac would be doing

something stupid without him. Worse than that though was the turmoil in his young

friends emotions. Jack knew something about the Ghost hit close for Mac. When they

had first met Mac had a lost thousand mile stare. He looked like a 1,000 year old man in

the body of a handsome actor. There was something that had died inside him. Even

now while full of life and energy, there was always a shadow of pain in Mac's eyes, an

air of vulnerability. Jack sighed. Of course, those who tried to take advantage of any

perceived weakness quickly realized their mistake. Jack had seen Mac take out guys

twice his size, hell the kid could damn near blow up anything with just some house

cleaning supplies. And if somehow they did manage to get too close to hurt Mac, they

had to deal with Jack.

Jack cracked his knuckles wishing he had the Ghost in front of him. Riley turned

and glared at him, wincing at the motion. Jack smiled. He had sparred with Patty before

and knew what an exhausting and painful experience it was. His smile vanished as his

thoughts slid down a familiar groove. He had heard the intensity of Mac's voice and saw

a shade of the total withdrawal in his face. I tracked him across Afghanistan, I saw him

kill hundreds of people. Jack knew it was much more personal for his partner. The pilot

announced their arrival at LaGuardia in twenty minutes.

"Finally!" Jack almost yelled. He watched the tiny postage stamp grow larger until

it became the towering skyline famous the world over. Jack was unbuckled before they

were even close to the terminal. Luckily with private jets there wasn't ever a time they

had to drive the long way around before deplaning. Still Jack chafed at the time it took

to lower the short steep gangplank. He glanced at Riley who held her rig in a death grip.

"You ready?" Jack asked softly. She looked up with exasperation. Jack always

asked this before they left the plane. A habit he'd gotten into when jumping out of

planes with Delta he supposed. A habit he had no intention of breaking. Riley nodded.

Jack smiled. He sure did love the girl. Someday they'd work out the snarl of history

between them, Jack hoped.

When he saw Mac waiting for them, Jack saw his worry was fully merited. He

had a hunted distant look in his eyes. Mac hadn't been this distant even when Nikki

betrayed them. Mac told them what the freebies had found out since their last

conference call, which was a big fat zero. His voice was flat. Mac's eyes automatically

dissected the area around them as they walked out to the standard black SUV every

government person was obligated to drive. Jack realized the kid was looking for signs of

IEDs. Mac wasn't even aware of it. Jack frowned, that meant part of Mac had slid back

to the sandbox. Not good. Mac handed Jack the keys before Jack asked for them. Mac

hopped up into the passenger's seat and sat looking down at his hands while Riley and

Jack stowed their gear. Riley and Jack shared a worried glance.

Riley started talking, trying to ease the heavy blanket of silence that wrapped

around Mac like a 30 foot python. Mac sat stoic, his hands busy with paperclips. Jack

kept glancing over to get his attention, but it never left his hands. Jack decided enough

was enough.

"Riley, who are you talking to?" He asked. He knew it would piss her off, but it

was the quickest way to shut her up.

"I thought you two, but I guess I'm talking to myself. Take the next right." She

was irritated, but knew how to take a not-so-subtle Jack Dalton ham fisted hint. Jack

looked over at Mac decided to ease into it.

"I heard stories about the Ghost. Some said he never spoke, his jaw was blown

off." To his relief Mac looked up out of the windshield, still didn't face Jack yet.

"Yeah I heard that one too. I also heard he fried his vocal chords with all the

chemicals he used." The tension in his voice seemed to strangle Mac's vocal chords.

"Every story I ever heard said he was a monster." Jack said. Mac swallowed, his

face a mask of sadness and rage.

"That's the one thing they got right." When it didn't look like he would say more,

Jack decided to dive into the deep end.

"Mac, in all the time I've known you, when I met you in the sandbox and here

back home you've never told me what happened. What did that son of a bitch do to

you?" For a minute it looked like Mac was going to answer and he was just trying to find

the words. Mac shook his head, glanced at Jack.

"I think I'll hold onto that one for now." Jack nodded. He could tell that it was too

close to the surface now. He realized Mac was hanging onto the walls of

compartmentalization by his fingernails. At least his partner had allowed for the

possibility of telling him in the future.

"Ok, but we're here for you, and I don't mean with a laptop or gun." Mac nodded

and tried to give a grateful smile. It came out more a tight-lipped grimace.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

"Let me get in there?" Mac asked softly. Riley and Jack both looked up surprised.

Mac may be able to do a billion things with the guts of a computer but he avoided them

when he could. He knew the basics he had to, of course, but he never seemed to want

to go past that. It bored him and gave him a headache he always claimed. Now he was

intent. Riley let him scoot into her chair. Jack frowned down. He could almost feel Mac

leaving the room, floating back to whatever happened in Afghanistan.

"What ya looking for?" He asked as Mac scrolled down the multitude of entries.

Mac stopped at one and ran his hand over his eyes. The bubble of tension around him

seemed to become almost solid. "You Ok?" Jack asked for the hundredth time.

"Uh..yeah, I need to watch this video alone." His voice broke. Jack scowled.

"Are you sure about that? Mac turned and gave him a furious, painful glare. He

was telling Jack that he knew this was going to strip him and he didn't want anyone to

see him so raw and vulnerable. Jack also knew that if he pushed it there would be zero

chance Mac would ever unload the story to him or anyone else. Jack nodded.

"Alright, Everyone out!" Jack clapped his hands. "C'mon you heard me, out,

everyone out!" The techs left the room without comment. Jack shooed Riley in front of

him then left himself, as far as the door way. He left it open listening intently, partly to

make sure no one interrupted, mostly to catch Mac when he fell. He could barely make

out the soft confident voice talking to Mac over a comm. Mac didn't answer which meant

he couldn't hear whoever this was. Jack looked down at his feet, arms crossed against

his chest. He shook his head and scowled. His heart was breaking for the pain his

partner must be feeling. When the voice started talking about his daughter, Jack knew

this was much more than a fellow tech working with Mac. Then he heard it, it was as

soft as a footstep in sand, almost lost in the sound of an explosion. A soft intake of air,

followed by a gasp. Jack knew this was the MacGyver equivalent of wailing at a funeral.

He turned and went in. He saw Mac's head almost laying on his arms, his shoulders

slumped.

Hearing Jack's soft step, Mac sat up and began wiping at his sniffing nose as if

he were trying to banish what he heard or felt.

"Annabelle." He offered. Jack stepped closer knowing Mac was opening the

emotional door.

"Who's Annabelle?"

"His daughter."

"I never knew her name. I never heard any of this." Jack continued to wait,

letting Mac tell it his own way. When it seemed he wouldn't Jack asked gently,

"Who is this?" Mac turned his face red with tears.

"His name was Alfred Pena, he was my CO, my EOD trainer, he was the best.

All the trainees wanted him, but I…"That pause told volumes about how much

more this man was than Mac's CO. "He taught me everything I know about bomb

disposal. I was suppose to cover him for three weeks so he could go and see the

birth of his daughter."

"How old is she?" Mac did some mental math.

"She'd be at least five years old." Jack nodded knowing time didn't matter with

these type of wounds. He still had some of his own that felt hot infected. "I never

visited...or called…"

"Hey, there are people I have fought and bled with who I never contact back in

the states, it reopens old wounds." Mac took a deep breath and Jack could feel his

resolve.

"This wound won't heal until I catch the Ghost and put him away." Jack nodded.

"Ok, let's go make that happen."

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

"Stay behind me." Mac said holding out his arms to halt Riley and Jack. His eyes

raked the abandoned warehouse and area around it. "Ok, I'm first in the guy could

have-" Jack was thrown into a backwards roll over the hood of the SUV. He landed

with a whoosh seeing stars. Heat rolled over him and he heard debris rain down around

him. He winced as what looked like a flaming shingle hit him in the back of the noggin.

Jack bounced to his feet as soon as the explosion died away. Riley was on all fours off

to his left. She had a bleeding cut on her forehead. When Jack bent to help her to her

feet, he saw it didn't look too serious.

"You ok?" He asked. Riley dusted off her sleeves and nodded. "Mac?" Jack

hollered. No answer. Jack skidded around the SUV. His heart skipped when he saw an

unmoving MacGyver sprawled beside the passenger's door. Jack also saw a sizeable

dent in the rear flank of the SUV and the safety glass in the passenger window was

shattered, but unbroken. It was dented inward telling Jack the force Mac had hit the

vehicle in. Not good. He knelt beside his still friend. He checked for broken bones. Jack

cautiously let out a breath of relief. He gently rolled Mac onto his back. Jack winced at

the darkened area on his partner's forehead.

"You're gonna have a helluva headache." Jack said softly.

"I called 911, " Riley said leaning on the fender of the SUV. "Is he ok, Jack?" Jack

was saved from answering by Mac groaninig and opening his eyes, He immediately

closed them and put his forearm across them to block the full afternoon's sun.

"Hey, bud. How ya feeling?" Jack asked. Mac lowered his arm and painfully

glared at Jack.

"Like I got caught in an explosion, how do you think I feel." Mac snarled. Jack

grinned up at Riley.

"He's fine." Jack translated. Riley laughed until Mac included her in his miserable

glare.

"I'll get Thornton up to date." She said hiding behind the hood of the SUV. Mac

shakily pushed himself to sitting.

"Hold on, kemosabe, take it easy."

"I'm fine." Mac said leaning against the Ford with relief. Jack looked at him

skeptically. Mac looked like he was going to toss his last meal. Jack frowned. He

guessed Mac's last meal had been the muffin Jack had brought him this morning. Mac

closed his eyes and swallowed.

"Seriously, are you ok?" Jack said putting a steadying hand on the younger

man's shoulder. Mac leaned his head forward. Jack waited ready to scuttle back if Mac

heaved. Mac seemed to hold his breath, waiting to see if he was going to be sick. After

a minute he sat back up breathing easier. He stared at the huge plume of fire slowly

eating the empty warehouse. Jack could see defeat in his faraway gaze. This had been

their only lead.

"Hey. Hey?" Jack waited until Mac slowly turned to face him. "We'll get him. He

probably left something behind." Mac looked at him and nodded unconvincingly. Mac

tried to push to his feet, he got into a squat before he groaned and fell back on his ass,

his head banging into the door behind him. He hissed and put his hand to his head.

"Mac?" Mac nodded.

"I'm fine, Jack. Seriously." Jack scooted over and sat next to Mac leaning against

the SUV. He could feel Mac giving him the once over.

"Don't worry about me, kid. I flew over the hood and was protected by the car.

Mac nodded and let out a long breath. There really wasn't anything they could do until

the fire was out. The blare of sirens came closer and in minutes the entire was

swarming with fire, police and paramedics. Jack physically forced Mac to stay still and

let a paramedic check him over. Jack smiled at the glare Mac threw him the entire time.

He was relieved to hear that other than the obvious bump on his head, Mac was fine.

The paramedic wanted to take Mac to the hospital to check for an internal skull fracture

or concussion. Mac growled his adamant refusal before Jack could open his mouth.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Mac was in a daze as he fistbumped Jack. He felt like a soft noodle. He

managed a half smile when Riley teased Jack about getting the Shelby. Jack, Thornton

and Riley went over to a cluster of police and agents. Riley had her laptop out trying to

come up with a composite of the Ghost. Jack had been the first one to ever see him.

Jack was disappointed to see the man still had his jaw. Jack rolled his shoulders

deciding the next time they met, he would remedy that. He looked over to Mac pointing

to the bricks of white stuff Jack assumed to be very dangerous explosives. The kid

looked pale, shaky. Jack frowned. Jack felt a mite shaky himself, but also an elated. He

was alive! Jack frowned. Mac had been his rock. The sureness and calm the younger

man projected kept Jack from losing it, and hope. There were hundreds of good and

competent bomb techs, but Mac was in the top handful in the world. If Mac couldn't do

it, no one could.

Jack turned to add in details on the sketch Riley was filling in. Jack was

impressed. He had only gotten a brief glance at the Ghost, but when someone almost

blows you and a city block into dust, he leaves a vivid impression. The face that looked

back at him was almost identical to the man he'd seen. He clapped Riley on the

shoulder.

"That's him! Awesome job, Ri." Riley shrugged as if it was nothing, but Jack was

pleased to see pride glow in her eyes. Jack turned to go to Mac. He froze in midstep.

Mac was nowhere to be seen. He walked up to the nearest man in the bulky green

bomb suits. The man went to wave him back behind the police tape. Jack asked where

Mac was. The man shook his head. He had no idea. Jack began to feel fear licking his

feet. He scanned the crowd, the buildings around them. All the shops and restaurants

had been evacuated and closed as soon as there was a threat of a bomb. He frowned

then his eye saw a small alley. Jack jogged to it a sour look on his face. To his relief, he

found his partner bent over one hand against the grimy brick wall heaving. Jack walked

up to him slowly, not wanting to startle Mac. Mac finished then slowly stood up. His eyes

widened when he turned to see Jack behind him.

He was ash white, covered in sweat and visibly shaking. Jack knew the signs,

he'd seen many soldiers react this way after battle. Before Jack could open his mouth,

Mac flopped to his knees. Jack was at his side instantly helping him stand and walk to a

the cleanest part of the alley he could find. Mac was totally out of it. Jack leaned him up

against the brick wall. Mac seemed to look right through him.

"Hey, bud." Jack said leaning down to look directly into Mac's blue eyes. His

pupils were huge. They were even so Jack relaxed a notch. Usually that meant no

concussion. This reaction probably from a brain injury. Severe stress. Jack sat down

facing his friend. He took Mac's limp, cold, shaking hand. "Mac? Mac, c'mon bud.

You're ok, I'm ok." He repeated it softly over and over until Mac slowly focused on his

face. His eyes widened almost in panic, his hand clutched Jack's like the older man was

supporting him over a cliff. The shaking got worse and Mac didn't look like he was able

to talk yet. Jack began to softly run his hand up and down his partner's forearm helping

to ground him until the storm passed. Jack started babbling about Penny's party and

wondering what masks Bozer made for them. It took about fifteen minutes before Jack

could feel Mac's death grip relaxing. It was another five before Mac took a deep breath

and stopped shaking.

"...You'll probably end up as Lincoln, you know being so tall and skinny." Jack

said.

"I...I'm lean...not skinny." Mac finally said in a trembling soft voice. Jack grinned.

"There you are, I was starting to freak out more than when I was stepping on the

bomb. Are you ok?" Mac dipped his head and took his sweaty hand away from Jack. He

rubbed his sweaty face with the arm of his shirt.

"Tomato, tahmato." Jack said with a shrug. Mac smiled up at him weakly.

"Ok, old man. I may be lean, but at least I know better than to chase a bomb

maker into a van." Jack laughed.

"Fair enough." He said. Jack stood and held out a hand. Mac took it, he still had

faint tremors. "Are you ok, for real?" Jack asked seriously. Mac held onto Jack's arm to

steady himself. His gaze drifted far away then back to Jack.

"Yeah, there's just something I need to do." Jack nodded guessing it involved

Mac talking to one little girl about her dead daddy.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Penny may be something of a flake, Jack thought but the woman knew how to

throw a party. Jack, as a crisp Eisenhower in his dress uniform strolled the dimmed

room watching folks dance on the area cleared in Penny's basement. Penny was

dressed up as either a pixie or a butterfly, Jack wasn't sure. Bozer wore the Washington

mask and Riley. Jack wasn't' sure what Riley was suppose to be. She wore a droopy

feminine version of Morgan freeman with a loose fitting suit clearly too big for her. She

looked like Freeman in drag. She didn't seem bothered by it and danced on the dance

floor with a smoothness that reminded Jack of her mother. Jack tipped his mask back

and crossed to the punch, the very very strong alcoholic punch. He was sweating from

his own time on the dance floor. He was celebrating life and would be having a blast

except for one little thing.

"Where's Mac? I haven't seen him." Penny asked as if reading his thoughts. She

stood on the tips of her toes searching the moving crowd. "He promised he'd be here."

Penny pouted. Jack poured her a cup of punch and sipped his own. It tasted really

good.

"Bozer did his mask last, he's probably waiting for it to dry." Jack said loudly to be

heard over Thriller. He watched amused as the whole dance floor went into a drunken

version of the dance from the video. He frowned. He hadn't been much older than them

when the album came out. He took a big gulp of the punch to chase away the weight of

years.

"Ok, when you see him tell him he has to make it up to me with a dance!" Jack

raised cup. Penny smiled then drifted off to talk to others along the snack table. Jack

scowled. He knew Mac would never let Penny down. Jack shook his head and finished

his punch. He gently pushed through the milling dance crowd not on the dance floor

heading for the front door. Mac's first date, Mac's first kiss...and still friends. Jack took

that as a sign of how special Mac's big ol' heart really was. Jack pulled the mask

completely off and took a deep breath as he left the house. A couple was making out on

the steps, they didn't even look up. Jack scanned the huge circular driveway. He knew

Mac would turn up eventually, but Jack had a feeling...Jack grinned. Halfway down the

block in a dim space between two street lamps was the darkened jeep Jack knew so

well. Jack jogged over to it. He figured Mac had been collecting himself before putting

on the mask, and Jack didn't mean the one Bozer made.

Jack jumped up and pushed the hood of the jeep. Mac who had been looking

down at something looked up startled. He shook his head and threw Jack the smile

equivalent of rolled eyes. Jack laughed and hopped into the passenger's seat not

looking for an invite. He could see a small box on Mac's lap and a small stack of photos.

Jack's smile vanished. He knew what was in that box. A purple heart. Mac looked up

unshed tears in his eyes. Even in the dim light, Jack could see the kid had been crying

"Karen, his wife insisted I have it." His tone was a combination of gratefulness

and guilt. Jack reached for it. Mac handed it over. Jack could see his hand still

trembling. Jack felt the respectful somber he always felt holding a purple heart. It meant

someone had laid down their lives for their country. He let out a deep breath, closed the

box and handed it back to Mac. Mac handed over the photos. Jack smiled. He thought

every soldier must have pics like these. The unit, buddies together holding them in time

each one knowing this might be the last time they get to smile with their arms around

each other. Jack stopped to study the last picture. Mac, a very very young Mac stood

underneath the proud arm of a smiling shorter man. Mac looked so young, but it wasn't

his outside looks, Jack realized. It was the eyes. The deep blue eyes which seem to

jump out of the picture were weightless. The shadow, the closed off wariness wasn't

there yet. Jack looked up and saw Mac staring out the windshield lost in his own

thoughts.

The man, obviously Alfred Pina, had a weathered dark face. Mac's was young

and open this man had the solidity of one who had seen it all. He didn't grin like Mac, he

had more of a quirk at the edges of his mouth. Jack smiled he often saw that same

smile on Mac. The closeness of the hold he wrapped Mac in reminded Jack of another

picture, one he had taken with his Dad before he left for the army. Jack smiled fondly,

he thought he would like Alfred Pena a lot. He handed Mac back the pictures. Mac

carefully put them into a manilla envelope.

"I think I would have liked him." Jack said. Mac smiled staring at the envelope as

he slowly closed it. He nodded.

"Yeah, I think you would have too." He said softly. Mac looked at him,

"Sometimes you remind me of him." Jack felt himself almost glow taking that of high

praise.

"Only sometimes?" Jack joked trying to lighten the mood. Mac smiled.

"Yeah, you know when you aren't being a Jack-ass." Jack laughed and clapped

him on the back taking no offense. He realized he had touched something soft and

furry. He squinted and saw Mac was dressed in a dark velvet jacket and matching short

pants from the 18th century. The outfit came complete with a flowing ruffle and calf high

tights. Mac saw his look and threw him such a suffering look, Jack laughed until tears.

He sucked in air. Mac stared at him sternly until Jack sucked in air and tried to stop.

"What the hell are you wearing?" He asked. Mac actually looked apologetic, as if

he'd just lost his man card.

"Penny picked it out." Mac defended.

"So who are you?" Jack asked wiping his eyes and trying not to bust out another

gale of laughter.

"Alexander Hamilton." Mac admitted knowing what was coming next.

"I LOVE that musical!" Jack said stifling a giggle.

"Shut up, Jack." Mac said getting out of the jeep. He carried a white wig and the

mask Bozer had made.

"Nice wig, goes great with your panty hose." Jack laughed.

"I swear…" Mac began. He scowled. Penny owed him, big time.

"And what are those? Tap shoes?" Mac held up a hand walking faster.

"Mac…" Jack said.

"Sometimes you're such a Jackass." Mac muttered.

"But I'm your Jackass?" Jack whined. Mac's glare melted as he too tried to fend

off laughter.

"Sometimes…" He admitted. Jack threw his arm over his partner's shoulders.

"C'mon bud, after the week had we deserve an awesome party!" Mac smiled

back. They walked into the house. As they stood waiting for their eyes to adjust, the DJ

started playing Push It by Salt n' Peppa. Jack grinned at Mac who put a hand to his

head as he shook it.

"No, no, no,no…" He muttered.

"Ooh, yeah." Jack said starting to sing along. He began to dance in the weird way

that was something like 80s dancing and party gran mal seizure. Mac sighed putting on

the mask and wig.

"Jackass." He muttered fondly as he stepped onto the dance floor.


	6. Episode 7: Can Opener

Episode 7: Can Opener

Riley paced trying to think furiously for a way to get back into the supermax

computer network. She dashed the tears away from her eyes, refusing to give into

them. The fear on Mac's face as he walked past the other prisoners. Riley knew what

they had yelled at him, what they would do to him. She had tried to tell him, to explain to

him, but no one knew what it was like until they are behind the barbed wire, behind

bars, trapped in a tiny cell with no way out. She sat down and tapped again at the laptop

and cussed picking it up to throw it across the room, she barely managed to stop herself

at the last second.

She had hacked the NSA, how could she not get into the fucking super max's old

damned system! She sat down and put her head in her hands. She felt a small sob and

dribble of tears fight through. She looked up at the prison which was quiet in the dark,

except the guards flitting from cell to cell collecting payments, making deals. The bleak

walls and bars made everyone who entered them into some sort of animal. Memories

played out again, unwanted as always. There was no sound on the camera feeds, but

Riley could hear the screams in her mind. The sound of people cracking, the sound of

roommates attacking the "fish." Was Mac screaming? Riley wanted to scream. Mac,

pretty boy Mac. His young looking perfect movie-star face would make him a target.

"Mac can take care of himself." Riley told herself, wiping at the tears and trying to

focus on the snarl that was the prison's computer system. Visions of the things done to

her, the things she had done, and what Mac might be going through snapped her from

sleep that had slipped up on her. She paced. Mac had ended that horror for her. Like a

fairy godfather he had seemed to come down to hell and lifted her out of it forever. Even

when Thornton had wanted to put her back and throw away the key, it was Mac's

backing her that saved her. He saw something in her when everyone else hadn't. Jack

did what he could, of course, but it had come down to Mac. She glared at the screen.

She almost wished she could take his place-almost. She told herself he would only be

in a week, hopefully less, especially if she didn't get in. Jack and Patty had to scrub the

mission then? They'd pull him out? God, she hoped so. She didn't care about El Noche,

Mac was worth so much more than that.

Riley forced herself to calm down. She went and hit the vending machine. She

stared at the choices of chips, chocolate and soda and leaned her head against the

humming cool machine.

"Oh, Mac." She sighed feeling her cheeks burn with tears, tears of fear for Mac,

tears of pain for herself. Sniffing she rubbed her face with her sleeve and with a shaking

hand put in enough money for a Coke. She popped the tab and almost drained it in one

swallow. She looked at her watch. 4:00am. Mac had been in there 16 hours. Riley set

her shoulders and took a deep breath feeling the caffeine and sugar perk her up. She

saw the ghost of her reflection in the clear window of the vending machine. For a

second she saw the orange jumpsuit. She shook her head and straightened.

"You're getting out of there." She asserted both to her reflection and Mac.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Jack stalked the small grove of trees panic churning his gut. He held onto hope

but it was slowly melting in his hands. Mac would have left some sort of sign, some

indication of where they had gone...unless he was dead. Jack swallowed around a

basketball praying to anyone that would listen he would not see his partner lying on the

ground dead. He kicked himself for the gazilionth time. Riley had wanted to pull him out

rather than leave Mac in there without backup. Jack had sided with Thornton, he'd know

that's what Mac would want. Jack's jaw felt like it was going to snap. Jack should have

known better than to go by what the kid would want. How many times has he needed

Jack to watch his back because he was too stubborn to get out of a stupid situation.

Now the kid was alone...Jack froze, his heart thudding. Oh no, no, no...He beant already

knowing what the dark wet stain on the ground was. He looked at it with the flashlight.

Blood. It wasn't a huge pool, he said giving thanks to whoever had heard his prayer. It

meant Mac was probably alive, for now. Which meant Mac was heading to El Noche's

compound-yeah team, but there El Noche would probably be asking Mac some

pointed questions. Jack closed his eyes looking down as snapshots of ways they would

ask flipped through his brain. He shook his head and toggled the radio. Mac was still

alive, they would find him, and that's all there was to it. Jack almost talked himself into

believing it.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Shooting El Noche was one the happiest things Jack could scratch off his

Christmas list. He grinned at his partner and teased him about not knowing morse code.

Jack looked around at the circle of unconscious dudes spread around them. He called

in his tac team to round them up as they began to stir. Trust the kid to take down five

gnarly dudes while being tied to a chair. Mac's half smile looked drunken. Jack frowned,

the kid was obviously out of it. As he got closer he could hear his partner struggling to

breath. He cut the duct tape holding his friend's arm to the chair. Mac tried to stand up,

but immediately fell back to the chair, closing his eyes, leaning forward and dry heaving.

Jack crouched beside him. Obviously the kid hadn't eaten in quite awhile. Mac almost

fell forward out of the chair, his breathing becoming desperate rasps. Jack could see

panic in the blue eyes that pleaded with Jack to...to what? Jack glanced around him. His

gaze stopped at the cannister of nitrogen with a mouth mask on it.

"Oh boy." He whispered. He didn't know what nitrogen did when you breathed it

in, but he knew it couldn't be good. Jack put a hand on Mac's sweaty gasping shoulder.

Mac was sucking in air but didn't seem able to breath out. "Slow down, buddy. Easy."

Jack said. Mac's grip on Jack's arm was a painful vise grip, but his breathing didn't slow

down. Mac's eyes were losing focus. "Hang on, Mac." Jack demanded toggling his tac

radio demanding a medic. It turned out one was already on the way. Jack stepped away

and felt Mac's grip become more desperate. "Don't worry, brother, I'm not going

anywhere." It didn't help Mac breathe any better, but the grip loosened a little. Jack took

that as a good sign. Jack looked at the medic who was hooking a mask up to oxygen.

As soon as the mask touched Mac's face he began to fight. The medic went

flying, Jack was shoved off to the side. Mac stood up and managed a handful of

panicked steps before he did a header to the hard floor. He flailed his arms desperately

seeking something...Jack was at his side in a minute.

"Hey, hey...easy now." Mac looked up at him with naked terror that squeezed

Jack's heart almost enough to stop his own breathing. Mac arched his back and rolled

over clinging to the floor trying to crawl away on his fingertips, like a man drowning. The

realization froze Jack. He felt like he was drowning. Jack grabbed the smaller man,

flipped him over and sat him up. Mac clawed at him while clutching at him in the same

grip. The medic reached out with the mask again. Mac shook his head trying to avoid

the mask. "Easy, it's ok it'll help you breathe." Jack said. Mac was long past making any

sense out of his environment. Jack leaned Mac against him, wrapped his arms around

his partner and captured his hands in a hold. He barely managed to avoid a head butt.

"Dammit!" Jack snarled. The medic lept forward and managed to snag Mac's

head and put the mask on. Mac pushed against the ground holding his breath. "C'mon

kid breathe." He hissed. Mac's orange prison slippers slid on the tile, for which Jack was

grateful. He was barely holding onto the man as it was. Jack shook his head silently

cursing stubborn geniuses. "Just relax, let go bud." He said softly. He'd never wished

his partner would pass out until that moment. Mac finally sucked in air. It didn't seem to

help. Jack looked over at the medic desperately. He was holding up a needle. Without a

word he plunged it into Mac's arm.

"It's a bronchodilator." The medic said to Jack's unasked question. The medic

hastily uncapped another syringe and plunged it in Mac's other arm. "That's a sedative."

After about a year, Mac's struggles began to lesson. He began to breathe easier. When

his sweaty body sagged against Jack, Jack released Mac's arms. He helped Mac lean

back. The younger man's eyes were barely open, but he was easily sucking in oxygen

and breathing out while not normally, at least better. Jack found himself letting out a

breath. He briefly wrapped Mac in a one-armed hug.

"You are never going out of my sight again!" Jack murmured. A flurry of

movement caused Jack to look up. Behind the medic Phoenix agents brought in a

stretcher. Jack went to make room. Again he was stopped by a hand gripping his wrist.

He heard a sucked in gasp of air. Jack looked down. Mac's eyes were at half-mast

looking desperately at Jack. Jack smiled down and put his hand over Mac's.

"It's all good amigo, I'm not going anywhere." Mac's mouth quirked in a tiny

smile. His hand flopped to his side, his eyes closed and his head turned as he finally fell

into unconsciousness. Jack stood up wiping his face watching as the agents lifted Mac

under his arms and feet and gently laid him on the stretcher. They loosely strapped him

in which roused Mac from his stupor. His unfocused eyes searched. Jack squatted

down and put a hand on the kids shoulder. "Easy, Mac. You're ok." Mac's eyes slid

closed again.

"Agent Dalton, Director Thornton is on the line for you?" A soldier came forward

holding out a sat phone. The medics had Mac bundled under blankets, IV fluids running

and were carrying Mac out to a waiting helicopter.

"Tell her I'm busy." Jack growled walking beside his friend.

"But, sir?" The man blanched at the look Jack gave him. "Yes, sir." Jack stepped

up into the helicopter and squeezed in beside his partner out of the way of the flurry of

the medics. They cut off Mac's orange uniform. Jack winced at the purple almost black

bruising on his chest surrounded by even more lemon colored ones. Mac murmured

and his head shook back and forth at the cold air. Jack held onto his hand to help him

stay calm. His tremors became shivers. The medics quickly hooked him up to the heart

monitor then covered him again. Jack watched it, he didn't know what the squiggles

meant but the number seemed a little low to him.

"It's because of the sedative." One of the medics reassured seeing Jack's worry.

Jack nodded taking a deep breath in sympathy. They taped a pulse ox monitor on the

tip of his finger. An alarm started dinging. The medics didn't panic, so Jack forced

himself not to. They changed out the mask on Mac and turned the oxygen up higher.

After a minute or so, the alarms went off.

"You so are paying for my hair transplant." Jack said. He thought he saw a crack

of blue as Mac's eyelids flinched. "I'd get a toupee by they always look like a racoon on

your head." Jack babbled.

"Yeah, orange isn't your color anyway." One of the medics said. Jack looked up

in surprise to see the woman's eyes twinkling. Jack smiled, if they were alone he would

give her the biggest, most grateful kiss of her life. Mac snorted. Jack looked down

worried and saw two light blue eyes looking up at him. The eyes slid from the medic to

Jack and Mac snorted again.

"You just shut up, I don't need dating advice from you!" Jack said. He looked up

blushing at the medic. "Uh, I'm sorry…" He began sheepishly. The medic smiled at

Jack, a billion watt smile, an inviting one.

"I don't know, talk around the office is your partner's one of the smartest guys on

the planet." She teased. Jack glanced at the other medic who rolled his eyes and

pretended to be filling out paper forms.

"He is." Jack looked down at Mac. Mac's eyes were closed and his breathing

easy.

"Well, maybe he knows something we don't." She flirted. Jack smiled back his

best Casanova smile.

"Maybe, my name's Jack."

"I know." She smiled at Jack's blush. "My names Gillian." The way she said it

danced in Jack's brain.

"You like steak, Gillian?" He asked. She laughed writing her number down and

handing it to him.

"Bloodier the better." She said. Jack grinned the goofiest grin in his repertoire.

Mac snorted again, then launched into an epic roll of coughing. The pulse ox started

dinging again. Jack held his breath. The other medic gave Mac another shot. Mac's

cough then slowed. He sleepily looked up at Jack who grinned down.

"That'll teach ya!" Mac's eyes rolled then closed. Jack wasn't sure if it was from

the meds or Mac being Mac. The hand in his squeezed gently. Jack sat back relaxing

for the first time since this whole nightmare began. His own eyes began to close.

"Go ahead get some rest, Jack. We have plenty of time." Jack smiled at the

implications of Gillian's voice, but didn't open his eyes. Maybe something good came

out of it after all, he thought as he drifted off.

Hey guys, thank you so much for your awesome comments! I love them! I'm sorry

I am so terrible at individual PMs! Just think this is one third of the way through!


	7. Episode 8 corkscrew

**Episode 8: Corkscrew**

 _Who the hell are you?_ Bozer stared at the James Bond dude in front of him, he used to be his best friend, but now instead of the goofy skinny white boy Bozer had rescued from Donnie Sutherland stood a...a what? Complete stranger. Bozer looked at his home. True Mac held the lease and was technically his landlord, but Bozer had called this place home since leaving Mission City. Like Mac, his once safe, comfortable home was now in shambles, alien. After a gunfight. A fricking gunfight! Here, in this house, in this room he'd come face to face with a... psychopath? Assassin? Bozer looked up at the broken face of his best friend and turned around going to his room.

The floor was solid under his feet, but Bozer felt like he was walking deeper and deeper underwater. Like he was drowning. He had come face to face with a nightmare and he couldn't wake up. That man...he seemed to ooze badness, no pure on evil. Bozer had loved evil dudes when they were safely behind the glass of TV. But this dude had walked in, Bozer had fallen for it, because who the hell would come in, try to kill him, and shoot the hell out of his kitchen. Bozer felt himself start to shake. He wanted to scream, to cry, to go back to the beginning...but when had that been?

When had Mac started lying to him? Just that morning his friend had told him to follow his dreams, to not worry about the rent...just that morning his world had been solid, Mac had been a rock...Bozer thought about moving out, leaving all this craziness behind, dumping Mac for the liar he was...In the same breathe Bozer knew it wouldn't ever be that simple. He had seen the scared white boy being chased by the ugly big dude from the football team. Even back then there had been something special about Mac.

Sure his hair always seemed to stick up in all directions and he was a little dude, came up to Bozer's shoulder back then. And Angus? How much did his parents hate him? He had seen the kid thrown into lockers, beaten up after school, and there had been that one nasty thing in the boys shower room, Bozer shuddered at the memory. Bozer had seen it all but hadn't gotten involved, you didn't mess with football dudes, everyone knew it. But Mac, Bozer smiled, he was always on the run, always lost in thought. He was smart, Bozer knew even then what a genius he was, but he was scattered.

The thing that impressed Bozer had been the sheer bravery of the kid. One time Donnie had cornered a geek named Henry Blake. He was beating the snot out of that kid. It had made Bozer uncomfortable, but like he said, no one messes with the football team. Evidently no one sent MacGyver that memo. He had ducked through the shouting crowd and launched himself at Donni. It was a beautiful tackle, one that foreshadowed the future athletic grace Mac would be capable of. Unfortunately it really, really pissed Donnie down. Mac got the beating of his life before the teachers finally got involved. Mr. Anderson was there and he was pissed. Everyone knew Mac was his favorite. If this had been 20 years earlier and Mr. Anderson had been a nun, Donnie would have been sent to the hospital right there. As it was the dude got suspended for a week and tossed off the football squad for the rest of the year.

What Bozer remembered most of all was Mac. He stood up holding his ribs and wiping blood away from his face, but he was grinning in satisfaction. Bozer wasn't sure if anyone else noticed. Bozer wasn't sure if anyone ever saw Mac at all other than the kid to cheat off, the skinny kid who should set up his desk in his locker because everyone just shoved him in it, but Bozer did. And when Mac smiled, Bozer knew who had really won that fight, and realized that had been Mac's plan all along. When Donnie came back, Bozer knew he couldn't stand back anymore and he whalloped the bully enough to make his hand swell three times big. It was the first and best punch Bozer had ever thrown. Not only did he get a rep around the school, but he'd gained a lifelong, brilliant friend that he would tell everything to, that he could trust to be there no matter what…

Or at least he had thought that. He had been through everything with Mac, the death of his the leaving of his dad, the death of grandpa, the failed prom, hell even the incident...But Mac...Who was this dude? He was cool, like mega ice while being shot at, making a weapon out of a broom handle and wine bottles? And with that suit on...damn if the boy didn't look just like James frickin's Bond. Now Jack, Bozer actually wasn't that surprised to see Jack in action. Mac had introduced him to Bozer when he left the army. The look, the once-over the man had given Bozer made him feel like he was on Stacey Lushang's doorstep justifying his right to take her to the sophomore formal. Beside he knew Jack always carried a gun.

Actually Bozer was kind of glad, he always thought Jack might be a closet NRA dude no matter how easy going he seemed. And what the hell was he doing at a think tank anyway? But Mac? His Mac? Bozer put his hands in his head. He closed his eyes in pain. What about Riley? She had to know, she worked with them, in all that danger...Beautiful spunky Riley? Bozer didn't know anything anymore. He wondered if he ever did.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Tension thrummed from Mac. Bozer watched his friend (friend?) watch as the psycho threatened his friends. Mac's adam's apple bobbed up and down with fear. Not fear for himself, one thing that Bozer had always known Mac fiercely protected the one's he cared about furiously. When he wasn't accidentally almost blowing them up at the football field-how the hell did he make radioactive stuff anyway? Bozer thought of little Henry Blake. As far as he knew, the kid had never thanked Mac, had never said anything to Mac. When Bozer complained about it, Mac just shrugged never expecting him to. Mac's jaw clenched and his eyes seemed to darken into storm clouds. Other than that somebody would have to know him to detect how upset he truly was. Bozer felt bad that Mac had felt he had to do that with him.

Mac turned and looked stricken at Bozer. His eyes were focused on what he was going to do. He nodded at Bozer and gave him a small smile Bozer couldn't read. Mac took out and twirled his keys, a habit that annoyed Bozer to no end, paused looking back at Bozer as if he was trying to think of something to say, or give Bozer time to say something. Neither broke the awkward silence and Mac left. Bozer took a step after his friend, then stopped and closed his eyes shaking his head. What could they say to make this ok, it wasn't.

Bozer turned to the big screen, did they get NFL on this thing he wondered. He frowned. Jack, Riley-beautiful Riley-and the boss lady all stood like they were playing a game of statues with red dots on their chest. Bozer had thought the red dots were cool, a great way of telling the audience how in trouble the heroes of a movie or show were in, but when it was real...his stomach churned. He closed his eyes, how had this all gotten so messed up? Just this afternoon his biggest worry was getting his boy set up for a romantic date with a pretty girl, helping him past Nikki-was she even real?

"I'm here Murdoc, let them go." Bozer's heart pounded like a kettle drum. His friend was afraid, but so...so damn brave. He faced down this dude like he was at the fricking OK corral. Bozer almost grinned with pride, then he remembered this wasn't a movie. His heart stopped when the face Bozer will always put on evil when he saw it, came forward carrying a honking huge gun. Bozer felt his hands ball into fists, he realized he wanted to protect Mac. His heart pounded in his throat when the crazy guy fired and Mac took off skidding into the junk yard.

"Run, run, run…" Bozer said. He jumped at his own voice as if he would give away Mac's hiding place. The cat and mouse game seemed to take hours, but Bozer knew it was surprisingly fast. Bozer wondered if terror made it go faster. He closed his eyes every time a spark came near his friend. And yes, Mac was still his best friend-the fear of losing him Bozer now felt proved that. Just come home, Mac. Please come home.

Then Mac was trapped. Bozer felt tears leak from his eyes as he saw Mac sigh in resignation and bow his head, closing his eyes waiting for it. Bozer wanted to close his eyes too, but he couldn't. Then the red dots hit Murdoc's chest and Jack came around the corner gun at the guy's head.

"YES!" Bozer said jumping in the air and pumping his fists. He watched the man, Murdoc he said, on his knees threaten his friend, no not his friend his BEST friend. Mac who looked pale and shaky took it with the same look in his eye as he did when Donnie got dragged away by Mr. Anderson. Bozer smiled and turned around strutting in a circle. "That's my boy! Hell yeah!" He said to the empty room. Suddenly he felt sick. "I need to sit down." He said plopping onto the couch. The betrayal was still a knife grinding deeper into his stomach, but the idea of Mac out of his life. He closed his eyes and put his face in his hands. That can't happen.

Mac looked more nervous facing him then he did facing Murdoc. He apologized. Bozer was sure it was an elegant, soul bearing speech but he hardly heard it. He saw the pain, the terror in his eyes. Not about Murdoc, that was just another Friday, but at the thought Bozer would leave him, like everyone else did. Bozer's throat tightened and he wrapped Mac into the biggest hug he'd ever given-outside of his Mama, of course. Mac stood there stiff a second in surprise, not sure what just happened. Bozer rolled his eyes. For a genious, Mac was really dumb at times.

"Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?" Mac said, finally melting into the hug.

"No, I am still hela mad at you." Bozer said, his emotions threatening to come out in a very unmanly way. He closed his eyes, hugging his best friend, his brilliant, brave, bighearted dummy of a friend. "I'm just glad you're alive." He said, his voice husky.


	8. Episode 9: Chisel

**Episode 9: Chisel**

They flew above the clouds. With the half-moon shining down, Mac felt like they were sailing on some weird beautiful sea. He stared at the freckles of stars that seemed so close he could reach out and touch them. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Jack snored soundly across the aisle from him. Riley had crashed across the one in the back of the plane complaining she couldn't sleep with Jack's snoring. Mac sighed and put his hands behind his head. He felt like a live wire was burning through his nervous system. Mac knew the feeling well. He closed his eyes and fought to not figget or get up to pace knowing that would wake Jack up.

Mac sat up and leaned his back against the back of the leather seat. He stared out at the dark blue clouds that seemed to drift slowly under the plane. They did nothing to calm the tsunami inside. After they had gotten the Latvian embassy staff to a safe exfil provided by the reinforcements that finally arrived while they were almost out of Latvia. They had met with phoenix personell and handed off Janis and cut the head off of Dieva Roka. MIssion accomplished. They had rested in Paris then taken an early flight.

Mac hadn't slept instead wondered around Paris. As he paced through the streets and the floors of the hotel, his mind paced through the dim bullet-ridden embassy. He could feel the air of defeat, of fear, the knowledge that it had been his fault. Bozer had been his fault. Was there anyone he didn't put in danger on either side of the world? Mac hadn't had an answer then and he sure as hell didn't have an answer now. He closed his eyes and leaned back. His fingers itched for a paperclip, a wrench, something he was able to fix…

Bozer had said he forgave Mac. Mac was grateful for that and he was grateful that Bozer didn't leave him. Mac closed his eyes swallowing around a baseball in his throat. The inner voice that he had perfected since his Mom died added, "like everyone else." Rationally he knew that wasn't true. Mac looked over at Jack. Even when Mac told Jack to leave him, the man wouldn't. Mac grimaced as he moved the wrong way. He hurt everywhere. The explosion when the safe had been stronger than he thought, he wasn't really hurt, but he knew he hurt more than Jack did.

No, Jack wouldn't leave him. Mac's face fell. That wasn't necessarily a good thing. Mac suspected that Jack would one day die because of him, because he did something wrong, or stupid. Mac rubbed his temples. He had a big lump on the back of his head. He was pretty sure it wasn't anything, although he did have blurry vision for awhile. Small cost, he thought. _I promise I'll get you home, but you have to trust me._ They did. Mac shook his head. Bozer did, and look what happened. Murdoc had come calling. _If I'm going to die, I'd at least like to know why._ Mac looked over at Jack _When I joined up with Delta I had a huge Dalton family reunion...the point is I knew what I signed up for these people didn't._ Until Mac dragged them in. Until Mac dragged Bozer in. Until Mac dragged Riley in. Mac pulled his knees up and hugged them. The little voice kept chirping. _They will all leave you._ Mac chewed on the side of his cheek. Maybe that was a good thing. If they were away from him, maybe they would be safer. Mac knew the day he failed, people would die.

Jack snorted and rolled over. Mac shook his head. How many times had he put the man at risk? How many times had Jack been hurt because he felt responsible for Mac's safety? It was bad enough that the man would and has stepped in front of a bullet for hiim. Mac held his head in his hands. Jack trusted him, Riley trusted him and Bozer had...Mac closed his head wincing at pain flashing through his head. How would he ever be worthy of their trust? How could he ever expect Bozer to trust him again? Especially since he had spent the past three days in interrigation for doing nothing more than let a man into his home?

And everyone else? Mac thought about Cindy, the kissing in the escape room. He couldn't see her again. How could he? He would have to lie like he did to Bozer. When he had asked Jack if he was going to have to lie to everyone he cared about, Jack had flatly told him yes. Mac couldn't take it anymore he got up, unfortunately he hissed in pain. He glanced over at Jack. The man snorted again but the snores continued without interruption. Mac went into the bathroom. One good thing about these private planes, they had a larger bathroom than the skinny closet on commercial flights. Mac didn't know who cleaned the jets, but the bathrooms were always spotless He locked the door and started to pace. He dropped and did 50 pushups.

He'd done the same thing not so long ago in the tiny prison. Mac closed his eyes as he leaned over the sink and splashed his face with water, forcing himself to not go there. He looked at his reflection. Mac laughed softly. He looked like he felt, like someone who'd been through a war zone. He yawned feeling tired. He sighed, maybe he would actually fall asleep. He sleepily checked his watch. He was just coming up on his 30th hour awake. He let out a breath, dried his hands and went to lie down again.

 _He paced the hallways of the embassy, trying to offer reassurance and hope. The cuddled bodies, the tearful voice of the Ambassador as she said goodbye to her daughter for the final time...As he passed they looked up at him with deep black holes instead of eyes, blood ran down their bodies, each one having a different gunshot or stab wound...In howling pain they all held their hands out to him...help us? You promised you wouldn't fail...help us...Up ahead running into a clear blue light his friends-all dressed in confortable clothes waved at him...come on, Mac...hurry up, we're waiting...Mac tried to run free but the floor felt like six inches of quicksand...the tunnel got darker, narrower...hands reached out grabbing him back...Jack held a live grenade...he smiled...look what I got...Riley jumped up grinning as she caught it, She laughed as she lobbed it over to Bozer...Hands held Mac...Bozer looked at him and grinned as the grenade went off…._

"Mac! Mac! Dammit!" A voice said from far away, Mac bucked at hands holding his, at the weight holding him down.

"NO BOZER!" He yelled jerking awake. He blinked, a shadow sat on him. Mac felt panic squeeze his heart. He pulled his hands. He had to...had to…

"Mac, wake up! It's me." Mac stilled breathing hard.

"Jack?" He gasped breathing hard. The hands relaxed and the shadow let him go. Mac stayed where he was his chest heaving. He rubbed his forehead. He was coated in sweat, and felt cold. He began to shiver. Wisps of the nightmare hung in the air in front of him, he tried to blink them away but was having trouble focusing.

A dim light went on, Mac winced as it seemed like a sword slashing across his head. He put up his hand to block the light. He looked at his hand to see it shake so much. He frowned watching it with a distant curiosity. This was the hand that had held the grenade as he automatically tossed it out the window. Mac flashed to the pit falling out of his stomach after as it hit him how close he'd come to being blown up. He sat up replaying Bozer exploding.

"Hey bud." Jack said kneeling back and looking at him a worried expression on his face. Mac saw Riley standing behind Jack, her hands on the overhead knob that controlled the light. Mac smiled sheepishly and stiffly sat back on the couch he's fallen from. He rubbed his head.

"Sorry guys, I didn't mean to wake you up." He said softly. He pulled the blankets up around him. He felt so damned cold. Jack shared a look with Riley who nodded.

"Well, I'm going back to sleep." She said, not-too-subtly moving back to her bed. Mac smiled after her, the smile vanished as he remembered her playfully throwing the live grenade...Bozer blowing up...Mac leaned forward and rubbed his face with his hands. He looked up, Jack had also sat back onto the couch he'd been sleeping on.

"A bad one." Jack didn't make it a question. Mac looked down at his hands and closed his eyes pulling the blankets tighter. He nodded but didn't say anything. "I'm guessing Bozer died?" Mac looked up surprised. Jack smiled a small smile. "You did kinda scream his name before you fell outta bed." Mac kept his eyes fixed on the carpet under his feet.

"Screamed?" He asked softly.

"Pretty much. How much sleep have you had?" Jack asked. Mac looked up at him.

"Since when?" Jack frowned, thinking Mac was making a joke of it. Mac slid back to the arm rest of the couch and pulled himself into a little ball. He still shivered, but the sweaty feeling was leaving. The view outside showed more open areas between the whispy clouds. Mac watched them seeing the small glowing lights far down on the ground below them. It was too dark for him to make out the large quilt of the midwest but the lights were drawn in almost perfect squares lighting up roads running along the multitude of fields. Mac watched them slowly pass in the night. He felt like he was falling through the clouds to the darkness below.

"...me?" Jack said. Mac looked up surprised. Jack was sitting in front of him. He realized Jack had probably been talking for awhile. Mac frowned.

"What?" He asked, Jack took a steadying breath and leaned forward putting a hand on Mac's shoulder as if to keep him there in the plane with him. Mac looked down at the hand. Oddly he still felt like he was falling.

"...at me!" Mac looked up confused. He felt Jack reach forward and drag his chin up making his eyes focus on Jack's face. It wasn't easy, his friend's face seemed to keep sliding to the side or down. Mac blinked and squinted watching Jack's mouth move.

"Mac, can you hear me?" Jack asked speaking slower. Mac looked at him and nodded. Jack seemed to relax a little. He let Mac's face go. Mac's gaze fell down to his hands. They twitched in his lap wanting to repair something...Mac closed his eyes and sighed. He wished he could fix what was really wrong. Jack stilled his hands with his own. Jack's hands were so warm. "Talk to me, kid." Mac slowly looked up. He went to pull his hands away, but Jack held them firmly.

"It's fine, just a nightmare." Mac said. His voice sounded distant, monotone even to his own ears.

"Right. So what happened in it, other than Bozer getting blown up?" Mac looked out the window.

"Alot of people died…" Mac's voice was hardly a whisper.

"And it was your fault." Jack guessed. Mac's eyes snapped over to face him.

"Don't look so surprised, Mac. You may be a man of mystery to others, but to me you're an open book." Jack's tone was light, but Mac's face fell.

"I managed to lie to Bozer for...a long time." Mac closed his eyes and breathed out.

"You know, bud, you are one of a kind." Jack said. Mac silently agreed. Jack squeezed his hands. Look what happened at the embassy wasn't your fault."

"It was my decision to go there." Mac countered.

"And it went sideways, but who was the one to get everyone home to their families, like he promised." Mac didn't answer trying to pull his hands away. Again Jack held onto them.

"And do you think Murdoc would have kept Bozer alive if Bozer had tried to warn you or done something stupid because he knew the truth?" Mac frowned. He hadn't thought of that before. "I hate to tell you this, kiddo, but you are not God and not everything is your fault." Jack squeezed Mac's hands before he let go. Mac stared out the window a long time. Jack got up and turned out the dim light.

"What if Bozer hates me?" He said softly. _What if he leaves me?_

"Not gonna happen." Jack's answer was immediate. Mac wasn't so sure Jack wasn't answering his silent question.

"How do you know that?" Mac desperately wanted to believe him. He heard the sound of Jack wrapping himself back into his nest of blankets.

"Have you ever known Bozer to abandon a lost puppy?" Mac turned glaring at his friend. Again with the puppy? Jack continued on before Mac could say a word, "No seriously, if it were you instead of Bozer would you just give up and go away mad?"

"No." Mac replied.

"Then why would Bozer? Sure he's really, really, really pissed off right now but once he processes everything it'll be ok." Mac heard Jack yawn. Mac sat staring out the window a long minute processing what Jack said. He yawned.

"You are probably right." He conceded softly. To his surprise Jack answered.

"Of course, I'm always right. It just takes you awhile to accept it."Mac rolled his eyes and actually chuckled. He began to tunnel into his own pile of blankets. He yawned again. He snugged down against the pillows looking up at the half moon. An idea of a way to get Bozer to work with him at Phoenix began to bloom at the back of him mind. Mac smiled and yawned again.

"Thanks, Jack." He murmured sleepily.

"Yup." Jack answered. Mac relaxed into a calm, deep sleep.


	9. Episode 10: Pliers

**Episode 10: Pliers**

MacGyver was just reaching down to show Valerie Lawson where she may want to try loosing the bolt on the bottom of the mechanical arm she was making when the guys entered the class room. Mac straightened knowing on sight these guys were bad news. He hesitated wondering what they wanted. Mr. Erickson tried to ask them to leave and got hit across the face, hard. Mac took a step forward then hesitated. He pushed Valerie behind him eyes roving for a way to end this.

"Give us the girl and you won't get hurt." The leader, a greasy dark haired man said. Mac smiled. Yeah, right. He threw a can of liquid nitro into the sink and used the billowing cloud as cover. He took out one guy, stopping the knife with a science book then throwing the book, managing to hit the guy in the throat. He turned on the guy who'd grabbed a screaming Valerie and was dragging her toward the door. Before Mac could take two steps he heard a loud crackle and suddenly his muscles twitched and gave out. He tried moving but only managed to flop like a fish on deck. Greasy hair leaned in closer.

"Tell her old man not to call the cops and he might just see his little girl alive again." Mac tried to make his tongue work. The man's head tilted as if he was deciding something, then he pressed the taser into Mac's neck. Mac's eyes rolled up and everythng went dark.

"See that mark up there, right above the basketball hoop that's where the first bolt hit, broke the glass right out…" Bozer said his voice full of pride and excitement. Jack and Riley shared a grin. Jack had always thought he knew what Mac was capable of, but a younger Mac still learning? Damn. Jack wondered what happened in the incident that could impress a school that had seen the kid make lightening in the gym. Before he could press Bozer on the point he heard a girl screaming. He held up a hand to interrupt Bozer. In the quiet that followed they definitely heard a girl scream. Jack took off running, pulling his pistol as easily as if he were puting on a mitten. He could hear the others right behind him.

Jack felt his stomach sink when he'd followed the sound to the class room Mac had gone to do his thing in. Jack pulled up, leading with the barrel as he crept along the wall towards the class.

"Just stop right there!" Jack's voice snapped with authority. The three men spun and Jack ducked behind lockers that were quickly peppered with bullets. At a lull in the shooting Jack peeked out and took his own shots. He shot high to avoid hitting the blond girl who was fighting for all she was worth. The glass over the exit door shattered. The men returned fire. Jack looked back at Bozer and Riley who were hunched behind a set of lockers on the other side of the hall.

"Great town you have here, Bozer!" He yelled ducking as a bullet squeeled off the locker right in front of his nose.

"Let's go!" One of the guys said. Jack whirled and aimed at their backs as they ran out the door. He stopped. Over the distance he couldn't depend on the reliability of his pistol enough to risk the girl's life.

"Dammit." He snarled putting the gun back into it's pancake holster at the small of his back. He followed Riley and Boze into the science lab. His heart did a flip-flop seeing both the nice old teacher and Mac unmoving on the floor. Jack ran to his partner and slid to his knees. Boze looked up at him terrified. Riley came over.

"Mr. Erickson's ok, but we might have to get him to the hospital for his jaw, how's Mac?" Jack breathed out finding a strong pulse. He turned the blonde's head and saw two separate short lines of burn marks.

"Taser." He said, grateful it hadn't been a bullet to the brain. Mac's eyes slowly fluttered open. He blinked, taking in his three teammates leaning over him.

"V..lrie…" He muttered as if his tongue was three times too big. He tried to roll over or sit up, but his limbs only flopped in place. Jack put a hand on his chest. He waited until he was sure Mac was focusing on him.

"Easy, bud. They took Valerie. Just give it a second. Looks like you got a double whammy of a taser." Mac blinked and nodded. He closed his eyes and laid back taking deep breaths. Every muscle felt like it had been painfully torn in a triathalon. After a minute or two, the numb tingling began to lesson. With a groan he slowly, painfully moved to sit up. Jack and Bozer helped him one on either arm. Mac closed his eyes a sec. "You gonna barf?" Jack asked. Mac opened his eyes and saw Riley brace herself to jump out of the way, just in case. Mac licked his lips and shook his head.

"Help me up." He said. His voice was still softer than normal, but clear. Jack and Bozer hauled him up and steadied him until he shook them off ,rubbing his neck. They held out their hands when he swayed, but he straightened walking it off. He bent over Mr. Erickson then looked up.

"Boze, you and Riley take Mr. Erickson to the ER. Jack, we need to have a talk with Valerie's father." They nodded. Jack paced his partner in case the younger man faltered, but as they walked he took on his normal pace. Jack felt himelf relax, well except for that whole save the kidnapped little girl thing.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Donnie Sonderland had a punch face, Jack decided as they drove to the police station their hands uncomfortably behind them. He could easily see what a little turd the guy must have been, by all the cutting remarks he made to Mac.

"I'm surprised you even wanted to come back, especially after what you did…" Jack glanced over at his partner who let out a sigh. He saw the same ambivalent look about being home he'd had before. It pissed Jack off. It had been hard enough for Mac to come and now this asshat was bringing back Mac's worst memories of the place? Oooh he had a punch face for sure. "I'm surprised you aren't in jail." The chubby cop said. That was the last straw.

"I'm surprised you're a cop, from what I hear you only like beating up little kids." The cop glared at him through the rearview window.

"Jack…" Mac started in a tired voice.

"Of course, around here they really don't need a cop like you do they? Not when Angus comes home and in just a few hours ends a crime ring that has been blossoming under your nose." Jack was on a roll. They pulled up to the small police station. Mac sighed and shook his head at the inevitable. Donnie came over and pulled Jack out of the car and slammed him up against the cop car, his handcuffed hands banging painfully against the side of the cop car. If the cop thought this would intimidate Jack, he was very wrong. Jack backed up and headbutted the cop. Donnie let out a painful squeak and staggered back his nose bleeding. "Well c'mon ya bastard, unhook me so we can have a real go." Jack drawled. Mac rolled his eyes counting in his head. Exactly thirty seconds later cops came spilling out and dragged Jack and Mac inside. Somethings never change, Mac thought.

A tall portly man that looked like Wilfred Brimley looked up over half glasses and broke into a tobacco stained grin.

"Angus MacGyver is that you?" He said. Mac smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, Mr. Riley." The man laughed and held up a walking stick that looked like it was made out of complicated wires and bits of metal. He put it on the ground and it raised to his standing level. He pushed another button an it shrunk back down to his sitting height. It let out a high pitched squeal.

"Old Betty is still working." The man said. Mac nodded.

"Sounds like she could use new bearings. If I get a chance I'll fix it for ya." Mac said as he was uncuffed and pushed up against the wall.

"Sounds great! It's been such a godsend since Maude…" The man hesitated as if taking in the fact that Mac was posing for his mug shot. "Oh Mac what is it now? Tell me you didn't…"

"No, Mr. Riley. I'm just visitting…" He winced as Donnie pulled his arms back to painfully put them back in cuffs. The dark haired cop had a familiar look in his eye. The look he used to get when he'd gotten Mac cornered. Mac laughed. "It's sort of a high school reunion, I guess you could say." Mr. Riley sighed and started filling out papers. Donnie didn't take off Jack's handcuffs, reading the gleam in his eyes for the threat it was meant to be. They had to wait five more minutes perched on a small brown bench along the wall.

All of the cops in the room glared at them, some at Jack who seemed to glow at the infamy. Others glared at Mac. Most of them had been on the football team. He smiled. Mac could understand them being a bit pissed. He had single handedly gotten rid of the only place on school grounds they could practise or play.

"These dudes really don't like you, what'd you do dude?" Jack whispered leaning in close.

"They're mostly football players." Mac said as if that explained everything. Jack looked at him puzzled. Before he could ask a guy taller and a whole lot meaner looking than Donnie came over and dragged them to their feet.

"Rich! Hey bud, what's up?" Mac offered friendly. The man growled and shoved Mac ahead of him hard enough to make him stumble. Jack took a step forward, but was dragged back by the big guy.

"Your cell is still waiting for you, just like my Dad promised. I hope your friend doesn't mind the tight corners." Before Mac could answer he was shoved into a small square cell hard enough to run into the cement wall, Jack quickly followed suit.

"Hey aren't you going to take off these handcuffs?" Jack yelled as the man smiled and walked away. He waved over his shoulder and left the holding cells. "Son of a…" Jack began.

"Don't worry about it, I got it." Mac said. Jack turned at a familiar click and saw Mac looping his undone handcuffs around. Jack grinned and turned his back to his partner who had him free in a few seconds. Jack rubbed his wrists and studied the small jail cell. It was painted with a thick chipping white paint. There were three cells beside it, all a little larger all empty. Mac sighed and sat on the one small bunk. He closed his eyes and leaned back. Jack studied him a long minute then sat beside him. The bunk squeaked softly.

"I'm beginning to see why you didn't want to come home." Jack said only half joking. He leaned back against the bars like Mac did. Mac shrugged. Jack frowned.

"You ok, Mac." Mac opened his eyes and nodded.

"Just old memories." He said softly.

"Good or bad?" Jack asked. The sad glance Mac gave him answered his question. Mac shrugged.

"A bit of both?"

"Both? Seriously?" Mac smiled and tilted his head toward the front.

"Helping Mr. Riley for one. There were a couple of other guys…" Mac's eyes took on a faraway cast, he looked down and picked at a piece of grass smeared into his jeans. He shrugged. "Not everyone was like Donnie, or his dad." The tone changed in Mac's voice. Jack frowned not liking the change one bit.

"What did he do?" Jack asked. Mac shook his head.

"It doesn't matter now. You think Thornton will get us out of here?" Jack scowled, but let the younger man change the topic.

"Yeah, but she'll let us stew overnight." Mac laughed. Jack raised an eyebrow at his partner. Mac grinned.

"I was kinda hoping to see Judge Nelson again, it's been awhile." Jack laughed with his friend.

"So is there anybody you didn't piss off in this town?" Jack said. Mac looked up at the ceiling as if mentally counting. He scratched the burn marks on his neck.

"Nope...don't think so. Most of them got over it...eventually."

"Most of them except those involved in the incident?" Jack repeated. Mac shrugged.

"No, I'm not telling you." He said closing his eyes. Jack scowled.

"Fine, didn't want to know anyway."

"Good."

"Good." They were quiet for awhile before they each opened one eye, looked at the other and burst out laughing.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac stood up and stretched leaning against the broom in his hand. The treehouse was looking good. His smile turned sad, almost like it did back when they had first built it.

"These are solar powered? And you came up with them when? That's awesome dude." Jack enthused. Mac rolled his eyes. After picking them up from jail, they had decided to go to Bozer's house. Mac had borrowed cleaning stuff and came back to fix up the place. He had been surprised when Jack volunteered to go with him. Mac sighed. It certainly wasn't to help clean. Jack had pulled out a couple of tree vines off the tool counter but then stopped to look at everything like he was in a museum.

"Yeah, there's no place to hang an elecrical wire to run out here." Mac said. He sneezed twice and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Jack glanced at him. Mac sniffled and made like he was going to sneeze again but didn't.

"Maybe you're allergic to this place." He said.

"Maybe, it's been awhile." Jack leaned down and plucked the well worn photo off of the wooden wall. He smiled down at the picture.

"You two are absolutely adorable." He cooed. Mac rolled his eyes bending to gather in the supplies he had borrowed.

"I think we're done here. Let's get cleaned up to go to Burger Nirvana." Mac said pulling up the door. Jack hesitated then put the picture back.

"When was that photo taken?" Jack asked cautiously. He had innocently asked if Mac's dad had helped build the treehouse. He was answered by a curt "no." Mac glanced over his shoulder as he tossed the cleaning supplies out the door.

"I was twelve, or about to turn twelve. It was a month before my birthday." Mac dropped down out of the door. He answered casually, but the tension under the words definitely told Jack that he was heading into shark waters and to stay the hell out. He frowned, he knew Mac hated birthdays. Jack glanced around the sturdy tree fort. He felt a pang of jealousy. He would have loved to have a club house like this. He glanced at the picture of a smiling Bozer and Mac. So young and innocent. He shook his head following his partner down the knotted rope. He was glad Mac had made himself a place where he could be safe and loved. Jack grinned as his boots hit the ground. A place he could trounce the entire football team with a small nuke.

"What are you grinning at?" Mac asked suspiciously.

"Nothiing Geekachu." Mac shook his head.

"Don't start with that again." He growled.

"What about Brainmander? Nerdasaur?"

"Jack, why the hell would I…" Mac started he stopped and threw his hands up in the air. He gathered the cleaning supplies and walked faster down to the SUV. Jack would forever be glad Patty let him take it, it's bad enough he already had bought a grasshopper green thousand pound paper weight., thanks to his very best friend and partner. He smiled at Mac's back. Yep, revenge is a bitch.

"How about Brainblaster?" He offered. Mac turned to glare at him.

"Isn't that from the Thunderdome movie?" Mac asked.

"No, that's Master Blaster and that movie sucked, by the way. Tina Turner should stick to singing." Mac shook his head and climbed into the passenger's seat hoping he'd gotten Jack off his pokemon thing. No such luck.

"Fixter?"

"That sounds like something obscene." Mac groused. Jack laughed.

"Fair enough." He grinned and slowly turned to face Mac. Mac shook his head in dread.

"No, no…" He protested.

"Taserface! You'd be Taserface!" Mac rolled his eyes and fought the urge to itch his burn marks.

"Jack...that's…" Mac couldn't even spit out a word to sum up the wrongness of the whole idea.

"Do you think the dude from GOTG 2 got that nickname from being tasered." Mac shrugged hoping silence would shut Jack up. Nope, he realized accepting that had never worked...ever.

"I mean that's nothing like you, of course, he probably wasn't in an eight grade chemistry lab…"

"Shut up, Jack." They were silent a long minute.

"Swissminster?" Jack offered. Mac turned sideways to look at him.

"What? Where'd you get that from?"

"You know, swiss army knife?"

"Sounds like somebody in the house of parlement." Mac said winding down the window enjoying the warm air and smell of...well home.

"Nerderella!" Jack enthused.

"Seriously?" Mac paused, a mischievious grin breaking out. "Now for Riley…" Jack laughed and nodded.

"That's good!" He snorted. They both thought about it a long minute.

"You're going to have to tell her that, man." Jack said.

"Me? It's your stupid idea!"

"She already hates me." Jack said.

"No she doesn't," Jack looked over his shades at Mac. Mac turned out the window, "well no more than anyone else." He said. Jack glared at him.

"Thanks a lot man." Jack said pouting. Mac watched a pair of eagles soar high on the thermals.

"I can't tell her." He said softly, regret heavily in his voice.

"Scared of her?" Jack asked.

"Aren't you?"

"Hell yeah! She could erase my ass or get me a subscription to adorable baby kitties." After a thoughtful pause, Mac said.

"But you like adorable baby kitties." Mac bit his lip to keep from laughing at Jack's glare.

"Shut up." Jack said."Takes a man secure in himself to admit that." He turned onto the Bozer's long dirt driveway.

"Nerdinator?" Jack offered parking. Mac let out a sigh and got out of the car.

"Jack-ass." He said under his breath.

"What's that you said? What? Badass? Yeah, now you got it baby!" Jack crowed, following Mac into the Bozer home. Mac wiped his feet as he entered the closest thing he had left of a childhood home, but he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.


	10. Episode 11:Scissors

**Episode 11: Scissors**

"Did we just pull off a genuine Christmas miracle?" Jack asked looking up at the dark trails of the explosion still hanging in the air. The sound of Chinese special forces gathering behind them caused them to raise their hands and slowly turn around.

"Does anyone know where we could get another?" Mac asked as he was shoved forward, his arm twisted behind his back. Jack and Riley had no chance to answer as they were marched to the room they had been before. A guard stood staring at them without expression, the others filed out. Mac looked around the room by habit more than a true desire to escape. What happens now was up to Thornton. Mac ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. Saving the entire world from WWIII should count in their favor he hoped. Mac whirled hearing a soft groan behind him.

"Jack!" Riley yelled. Mac moved forward. Jack's face had gone white, he looked at Mac in surprise, clutched his chest and fell to the carpet. Mac was at his side in a second. Jack was leaning forward, his breathing was labored and he was cold and sweaty. Mac opened Jack's collar and took his pulse. Jack's eyes kept drooping closed. Riley knelt beside him and went to take his hand. She looked up at Mac alarmed.

"Mac?" Mac glanced at the blistering on his hands and frowned. He was much more alarmed at the weakness and irregularity of Jack's pulse. Jack was moving his mouth to talk, but nothing was coming out. Mac glanced at his face and managed a small smile.

"Save it, Jack. You can tell us when we get out of here." Mac said. Jack moved like he was going to argue but his eyes closed and he passed out.

"Jack! Jack!" Riley screamed tears in her eyes. Mac put a hand on her shoulder. One thing that always impressed Riley about Mac was how calm he remained in any situation. This time, it was kind of pissing her off. "Mac, we have to do something!" Mac smiled and nodded.

"Help me get him up on the couch." Mac grabbed Jack from behind his shoulders and Riley grabbed the man's feet. They set him up flat with his feet elevated. Some of his paleness went away. Riley sank to her knees beside Jack and gently held his hand. Mac took a steadying breath. Without Jack...he shook his head refusing to go there. Jack was going to be alright, he had to be. Any other outcome was unacceptable.

Mac turned to the guard. Riley watched the burly man in tac gear nervously. He had absolutely no concern at one of his prisoner's collapsing.

"We need help for our friend." Mac started calmly. The man answered with only a glare. Mac took a deep breath and launched into a long, broken mandarin. The guard seemed to visibly get more and more pissed as Mac spoke. He leaned forward and Riley thought Mac was going to have a rifle butt across his head. Mac didn't back down, he merely looked at the man with a calm steady gaze. The man sneered but raised his tac radio and rattled off a burst. Mac listened to the back and forth across the radio. When the other end of the line went silent. Mac bent and gave the guard a small bow. The man glared at him. Mac let out a deep breath as he came across to Riley.

"They're going to send in a doctor soon." He said.

"What did you say to him? He looked really pissed." Mac shrugged.

"I might have said that if the Chinese let a prisoner get harmed while in their custody it shows they have no honor." Riley's eyes widened. Mac smiled at her then stood up. He spoke quickly to the guard. The guard nodded. Mac walked over to a small bathroom cubicle and came back out with a damp washcloth and a long roll of toilet paper. He laid it on Jack's forehead and took his pulse again. Still irregular, but not as weak. Mac hoped that was a good sign. He sat on the floor beside the couch and began wrapping Jack's blistered hands with the TP. Riley watched him her fingers rubbing the short stubble of Jack's head.

Mac looked up at her. She had a faraway look was equal parts fear, anger and fondness. Mac put Jack's hands across his chest then sat on the floor with his back leaning against the couch. He ran his hand through his hair. Riley looked at him.

"Is he going to be alright, for real?" Mac thought about how much voltage had passed through his friend's body.

"I think so. Especially if they get him some nitro soon." Mac raised his knees and hung his arms over them.

"You know when I was a kid, Jack was my hero." Riley said softly. Mac looked at her his mouth quirked up at the edges. He didn't interrupt. "My dad…" Riley's voice cracked. Mac put an arm on her forearm to offer support. "...he was always mad when he was drunk, and he was always drunk. He would come home and the least little thing set him off, if there were dishes not done, if he thought she was calling someone on her phone, anything." Riley looked down. Mac waited.

"My mom would leave him, you know that? She'd be gone a month or two and he'd show up at her job or our appointment and make her lose her job, or sometimes she would just go back because he was the 'love of her life' or she just didn't want the family to be split up...And every time...every night I would hear him yelling at her, smacking her, throwing things across the room, putting his fist through the wall. One night, I was around 12, I tried to stop him and…" Riley looked down. Wet trails began to run from her eyes.

"He hurt you?" Mac asked gently. Riley looked into his caring eyes and turned to put her back against the couch.

"Yeah. That was what my mom out of that hellhole. We left and didn't leave a forwarding address. A few months later my mom brought home Jack. My mom was so happy being with him...he made her feel safe. He tried to do dad things with me, but...I don't know I didn't want another day."

"You were afraid to trust him." Mac mused. Riley shot him a glance surprised. She nodded.

"Then my dad came around again and Jack kicked the crap out of him." She glanced over looking at Jack's still face. "He was my hero...then he just left, vanished without a word leaving my mom alone, leaving me… Do you know what that feels like?" She asked. Mac's face grew sad.

"Yeah, actually I do." He said. Her eyes widened realizing what she'd asked. She went to apologize, but Mac spoke before she got out a word. "You wonder what you did wrong? You spend your time trying to find out why. You make up stories for yourself and others...you feel small, alone, and afraid." Mac said softly. Riley nodded. She considered hugging Mac. Before she could decide to or not the door opened and a tall Chinese man in a doctor's white coat and stethoscope stepped in. Unlike the guard this guy was warm and welcoming. He came and listened to Jack's chest asking questions. He intently listened to Mac's broken mandarin, he nodded. He pulled a small spray can out of his pocket, gently opened Jack's mouth and sprayed some in.

Mac asked a couple of questions, the doctor readily answered them then left. Mac turned the can over and squinted at the chinese on the back sounding out words.

"Mac?" Riley asked. He looked up.

"Nitro spray. The doc said Jack had a shock to his heart and it threw him into a...funky beat."

"Funky beat?" Riley asked with a raised eyebrow. Mac shrugged.

"Loose translation. Anyway, he said Jack should be ok after resting a while." Riley closed her eyes and sighed. She wiped away the tears. She felt emotionally wrung out.

"Riley why don't you get some rest." Mac suggested nodding at an oversized recliner.

"I'm fine." She said not wanting to leave Jack's side. Mac didn't push it. They sat in silence for a long minute.

"So what happened after your dad left?" Mac asked. Riley had a small smile.

"I figured if Jack and my dad didn't love me, then who the hell ever would."

"You started your life of crime?" Riley rolled her eyes.

"I got into computers and found I could do things with them, get what I wanted. I liked the challenge of going up against systems that no one else could hack, so if that was crime ,hell yeah ,I started my life of crime."

"Technically that would be a crime." Mac added. Riley glared at him.

"And nuking the football field wasn't?" Mac laughed.

"Fair enough." They were quiet a long minute. Mac took Jack's pulse again. It seemed to be getting better. He gave Jack another squirt of nitro. He eyed Riley a long minute as if trying to make a decision about something.

"What?" She asked. He sighed.

"Riley, I know it's none of my business, and I know I already stuck my nose in where it doesn't belong, but you have to realize. Jack came back for you. You have a lot to work out, but he's here, you have a chance…" Mac's stood up and crossed the room rubbing his face. Riley watched him thoughtful. It looked like Mac was going to say something else, but the door snapped open and three Chinese special forces guys in tac gear marched into the room. They pointed to Mac. One came over to grab Mac's arm and bend it up behind his back. Mac didn't resist. He asked a question. The smallest of the three guys responded in a very hostile voice. Mac winced and looked at Riley. He was calm, but Riley could see the fear in his eyes.

"They're taking me to explain why we're here. Take care of Jack I'll be back later." The last was choked off as he was dragged from the room. Riley walked toward the door, not even realizing she'd gotten to her feet. The guard pointed his rifle at her and smiled as if he wanted Riley to try something. Riley glared at him then turned back to Jack. She took off the washcloth, wet it then put it across his forehead. He was feeling warm, and wasn't near as pale as he had been. She smiled down at him.

"You better be ok, old man." She murmured. To her surprise his eyelids fluttered and slowly focused on her face. He smiled, Riley felt like he had wrapped her in a thick blanket of safety. She had never realized how much she appreciated his strength and even his hillbilly sense of humor.

"You ok?" He asked worried. Riley rolled her eyes.

"I'm not the one who almost had a heart attack." She softened her tone with a small smile. Jack looked out around the room in alarm and went to sit up. He paused to hold his chest. He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths. Riley helped support his back watching him worried. He looked up at her and smiled the fake happy smile he used when trying to reassure people. Riley scowled.

"It's ok, kiddo, just a mite dizzy and feel like I got a horse kick in the chest. Where's Mac?" Jack picked up on her worry and finished sitting up. Riley told him what he'd missed. She did not miss how his dark eyes roved the room looking for exit strategies and potential weapons. Riley gently pushed him back against the back of the sofa.

"There's not much we can do right now, get some rest." Riley said. Jack looked at her.

"That's what I have been doing, you need some rest." Riley glared at him. He held up a hand. "Fine, tell you what, why don't we both get some rest until Mac gets back. And if he doesn't…" Jack smiled coldly, his eyes taking on an edge of menace. Riley nodded and sat in the recliner. Jack watched her curl up and fall asleep. Riley was like a cat, could sleep anywhere. Jack laid out so he was facing the door and impassive guard. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

She really was like a cat. Long on attitude and short on trust. Jack smiled. They both napped around four hours. When Riley woke up, Jack was up and pacing the room, sending threatening looks to the guard. The one from earlier had been replaced with a short, slight man who looked more than a little intimidated by Jack's tenseness. Riley yawned. Jack smiled at her.

Before they could say anything, the door opened and Mac was escorted in. Jack moved to his side immediately. Mac looked dead ass tired, but unharmed. He grinned at Jack.

"Back to the land of the living?" Mac asked. Jack glared at him. Mac took a deep breath.

"I think I made us a deal…"


	11. Episode 12 and 13

**Episode 12: Screwdriver**

Mac sprawled out on a recliner his long leg hanging over the side. He sipped his beer and looked over at Jack. Jack was sprawled on the couch a small pile of empty beer cans scattered on the table beside him. Mac knew the man was totally drunk, he'd been pacing himself but was definitely passed buzzed. Mac felt like all his energy was going toward digesting the extra piece of pizza he shouldn't have had.

Mac closed his eyes. His mind drifted to Nikki. He found himself remembering the night they'd had together. Sparks had flown like they always did, chemistry had never been the problem with him and Nikki, but his heart...he felt frozen. He wanted it to go back to the way it was before but it couldn't. Still that night…

"Shut up." Jack said. Mac looked over at him puzzled.

"What? I didn't say anything."

"I could hear that smirk from here." Jack said leaning forward to get another beer. Mac was going to caution him to slow down, but figured what the hell they were at Jack's house and going to Sarah's wedding had really sucked for his friend.

"I didn't smirk." Mac said. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yes, it was the what a great night I had, I got laid smirk." Mac actually felt himself blush, but he couldn't deny it could he?

"I'm sorry, I'll try to smirk quieter." Mac said dryly. Jack laughed and waved a hand.

"I'm just kidding. I'm glad somebody got something good out of this week." Mac frowned and took another sip of beer. They were slowly making their way through Bruce Willis's complete collection. Mac didn't mind _Die Hard_ but now they were watching something about golf and an assassin or something. Mac hadn't really been following it, his mind as usual busy with a hundred thoughts per minute.

"What do you think about Thornton?" He asked. Jack looked at him curiously taking a sip of beer.

"I can't believe she fooled us like that. I keep going over all the missions and trying to find evidence...I can't, but I've always known she's the best covert operative on the globe." Jack looked meaningfully at Mac. Mac looked down sighing. He didn't say it, but between Nikki and Thornton, Mac wasn't sure of who to trust anymore. "So how do you feel about Thornton...and Nikki?" Mac glared at him as Jack slipped in that last part. Mac stood up to gather up the empty pizza container. "Leave that! Look this is important."

Mac stood a long minute his back to Jack. Slowly he deflated and his shoulders sagged. He turned around and perched on the edge of the coffee table. He looked down at his hands.

"I don't know." Mac said honestly. He looked up and Jack could easily read his turmoil. Jack sat back and smiled.

"You seemed to get along...at least one night." Mac rolled his eyes stood up and moved back to the recliner. Jack shook his head, "Sorry, man. I know I keep teasing you about it, but I'm not sure hooking up with Nikki is a great idea."

"No, I know it wasn't...It's just…" Mac's eyes drifted to some faraway place. Jack leaned forward, his face serious.

"It happens, you're there, she's there...and she is your kryptonite." Jack took another sip of beer. Mac looked down at his hands.

"I don't know...I guess I wanted it to go back to the way it was…"

"But it can't." Jack finished. Mac stood up to pace.

"I mean it was good...great…" Mac smiled at the memories. His smile faded. "But I didn't trust her, I don't trust her...I know she's on our side again...but…?" Mac threw up his hands and looked at Jack confused.

"It's hard to love someone while you're waiting for them to pull out a knife and stab you...or shoot you." Jack finished, "Did she apologize for that at least?" Mac sighed and sat down.

"Sort of."

"Sort of?" Jack snorted.

"So are you going to tell Sarah how you really feel?" Mac said. Jack sat back and blinked.

"No we're talking about you." Jack tried. Mac smiled.

"And now we're talking about you. I think you should tell Sarah how you really feel."

"Dude, it's way too late now! She's someone else's wife." The tears in Jack's eyes made Mac regret changing the subject. He sat back not wanting to hurt his friend any further. "Besides, can you imagine us together? Off in the jungle somewhere with little Jack in one of those halter things? I mean who can you find to babysit while fighting terrorists?" Mac frowned at Jack's attempt at humor.

"For you and Sarah, it'd be perfect." He said gently. Jack looked over at him, his face slowly crumbling. He wiped away wetness under his eyes.

"Nah, something would go wrong, I'd screw it up, I always do." Mac sighed and shook his head.

"You don't know that...besides it'd be worth the risk wouldn't it?" Jack looked at Mac and started laughing. Mac frowned, "What?"

"You know, Mac. I think this week should go down in history as the worst double date ever." Mac looked at him surprised then laughed with him. He reached over and they clinked beer bottles.

 **Episode 13: Large Blade**

Mac opened his eyes and winced his head felt like it'd been put in a blender. He blinked his last memory being Bozer screaming his name over the coms.

"Mac! Help me get her out of here!" Mac blinked. He'd been thrown from the helicopter. He stood up and almost fell over. He staggered over to Cynthia forcing his sluggish brain to process what had to be done. He looked over at Jack worried by his bloody nose, slightly slurred speech and dazed expression. Still it could have been a lot worse. Mac was tightening the seat belts around Cynthia's leg when Jack gave the bad news. Mac snapped at him and instantly regretted it as Jack answered confused. Mac put his hand to his forehead getting himself under control. He went to make a crutch giving Jack some space.

Mac sat on his haunches as the grass began to smoke. The fire was hypnotizing as he fed it. Sudden dizziness made him almost fall to his side. He caught himself and shook his head to clear it. Unfortunately that just made the woods cartwheel around him. He bit down to keep the sour taste in his mouth from emerging as vomit. Mac straightened. Jack was still bent over talking to Cynthia, he hadn't noticed. Mac was in better shape than Jack or Cynthia. He didn't have time to slow down until they were rescued. He knew the ache in his head might be a small concussion but he had work to do.

Mac sat down a minute to rest. He took a deep breath and forced his mind to focus on weaving the branches to his last trap. Suddenly he found himself bent over puking. He leaned against the log trying to take deep breaths. With one hand leaning on the huge fallen log. Mac moved closer. He glanced around to check the traps were right then lifted the solid log he'd chosen as a club. Mac found everything going blurry, and double. He closed his eyes. He just had to get them out of this mess then he could fall down dead for all he cared. Mac felt his stomach rumble. He felt miserable. Didn't mean it wouldn't suck until then, he admitted to himself.

Mac blinked and was having trouble breathing. Everything went bright, painful, black then blurry. It took him a minute he was alive. His head felt like it was a mile underwater. He turned to check on Jack who looked paler and in pain, but was smiling. Mac tried talking to him and found they both were missing a good chunk of their hearing. Mac staggered over to the bottle. He fell to his knees beside it and almost couldn't get back up. Stubbornness put him upright, and he helped Jack back to their camp. They made the call and his heart thudded as the military vehicles slowly whirred closer.

The blackhawks looked like wasps flying in formation. The missiles they sent down to the terrorists were very effective stingers. Mac grinned at Jack who patted him on the back. Mac heard him yell something about going home, then everything went black.

"Mac!" Cynthia yelled, reacting faster than Jack did. Jack crossed to his friend. He checked him over but couldn't find anything wrong. He frowned. That meant his injury was somewhere inside. Not good. He glanced up as military personnel surrounded him. They were snapping questions at him, but they were spinning. Jack closed his eyes, swayed and fell to the ground out cold.

Jack woke up in a bed in Phoenix medical. He groaned, his face felt like he'd been smashed into a cement wall a hundred times. Thinking about how many times he was headbutted and the crash itself of course...he might as well have been.

"Hey." Cynthia said. Jack grinned up at her. She looked a whole lot better than the last time he'd seen her. He glanced down and saw she had a surgical boot on her broken leg. He frowned.

"Aren't you going to have surgery on that?" Cynthia smiled and put a hand on his arm.

"I already did." Jack's eyes widened and he pushed himself up to sitting, and regretted it immediately. Cynthia pushed him back down. He put a hand on his forehead and groaned waiting for the world to stop sloshing around in his head.

"How long have I been out?" His eyes went wide, "Mac? Where's Mac?" He grabbed Cynthia's hand in panic.

"You've been in and out two days, and Mac…" She pointed to Jack's left. He let out a breath. Mac layed in the bed beside him. The younger man looked like he was sleeping. Jack frowned, he still didn't see any signs of injury. "He's going to be fine, they said that he had some sort of shock injury, they've been giving him some medicine to stop his brain from swelling…"

"Brain swelling!" Jack exclaimed alarmed.

"Yeah, I guess when he fell out of the helicopter he landed badly and his brain sloshed around...or something. They explained it but I'm a stick hockey not a doctor."

"But they say he's going to be alright?"

"They just brought him back from a scan and they said everything was 'better than expected'"

"What the hell does that mean?" Jack said managing to sit up without puking

"I think it means he's a tough son of a bitch like his partner." Cynthia said with a smile. Jack nodded.

"Damn right." Jack didn't even try to control the pride in his voice. A moan from Mac interrupted them.

"Mac? Hey bud." Jack called. Mac's eyes slowly blinked open. He put a hand over his forehead and slowly turned to face in Jack's direction. Mac closed his eyes and looked like he was going to be sick. Cynthia kicked the garbage pan closer with her good foot. Mac smiled weakly as he opened his eyes again.

"You look better…" Mac managed to say. He squinted giving Jack a once over, " You...not so much. Are you ok?" Jack laughed relieved they were all going to be ok after surviving a really bad day.

"It's all those knocks to the head everyone keeps throwing my way." Jack said defensively. Mac smiled and closed his eyes.

"Well if you had brought the right amount of restraints in the first place…" Mac said.

"Not gonna let it go are you?" Jack grumbled.

"Probably not." Mac's head turned and Jack could see he was fighting sleep.

"Well fine, next time you bring the restraints! I have to carry all the guns and ammo anyway. Maybe I shoulda just shot Victor…" Jack said. Mac chuckled.

"Any excuse not to bring restraints."

"Well it would have saved time." Jack said defensively.

"And pain." Mac grimaced as he turned his head.

"Seriously, are you ok, brother?" Jack asked worried. Mac held up a thumb's up not wanting to cause more pain. He held out a hand and Jack fist bumped it. Cynthia laughed as she gathered up her crutches. The two men looked at her through painful squints.

"You two are adorable." She said as she slowly made her way to the door.

"Just wait and see if we ever fly Cynthia airlines again!" Jack yelled.

"The service sucked." Mac agreed, more softly. Cynthia turned to wave at them and turned out the lights, leaving the door cracked open. She paused turning.

"Thanks boys." She said softly.

"Anytime, darling." Jack murmured.

"Uhmmm." Mac answered.


	12. Episode 14: Fish Scaler

**Episode 14: Fish Scaler**

"I welcome it." Mac had said with a smile. Matty had smiled back. Mac stood up to leave.

"Oh, and MacGyver?" Mac turned to face his boss.

"Get to medical?" Mac stared at her surprised. His hand hurt like hell. When he shoved the wire into the breaker box it had burned his hand to blistering. He would put cream on it later. It hurt like a bad pulsing toothache, but he'd had worse. Mac opened his mouth to tell all that to Matty, but a single raised eyebrow changed his mind. It was bad enough he was already on probation. He nodded and tiredly walked to the elevator and went to medical.

His mind was a whirlwind. He did want to show Matty what he could do, and he was used to having to prove himself, but what if she took a hardline and stopped him from doing what he could do? Mac frowned as he entered the waiting room for medical. A young redhead looked up at him and her eyes widened.

"Mac!" Mac smiled at her as she looked him over. She ran around opened the door and practically dragged him back to the triage beds.

"Hey Sally." Mac said. She made him sit on a padded bed. He wondered why everyone in medical always treated him this way.

"I'll go get Bill, you stay right there." Sally gave him a look that had the impact of a nun teaching class. Mac nodded and shook his head after she left. Everyone always acted like he'd disappear every time he came to medical. Mac sighed looking down at his hands. He'd only done that one time. When he actually comes to medical, he stayed for treatment. Of course, he wasn't the best at ever coming to medical. He looked up as a George Clooney looking man came almost running toward him. Mac raised an eyebrow.

"It's ok doc, It's just a little burn." He said.

"Where's Mr. Dalton," The man asked in a surprisingly high toned voice. Mac shook his head. He supposed that was a fair question, usually he came only because Jack blackmailed or harassed him until he went-or he was unconscious, which Mac didn't think was very fair.

"He's not here." The doc's eyes raked Mac's body noting how he sat, looked for signs of injury as he spoke. He didn't look like he believed Mac would ever be here under his own steam without spurting arterial blood or something else life threatening. Mac sighed. Fair enough, he supposed. He held up his hand.

"I was ordered here by the new boss for this." The doc raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"I haven't met her yet, but she seems impressive." Mac rolled his eyes and almost hopped off the table and left. He was impressed because she got Mac to come here? Mac thought that was a little unfair. Mac's thought vanished when the doc grabbed his burnt hand. Mac closed his eyes and bit back a moan.

It felt like the live wire was still wrapped around it. He closed his eyes and forced himself to breath. He really hated burns, there was no way to completely block out the agony at burnt nerve ending. He focused on breathing. It took a long second for Mac to realize the agony had faded into a hum. He blinked and saw Bill talking quickly to Sally who nodded and vanished. Mac shook his hand, why did doctors always know where the absolutely worst pain was then attack it every time.

"Mac, I'm surprised you didn't come sooner." Mac sighed and waited. Bill shook his head. "One of these days they are going to bring you in here dead." He said that almost every time Mac came in with something serious. Mac snorted.

"No, they'll take me to the morgue." Mac casually reminded him, "besides it's just a burn." The doctor glared at Mac. Mac always liked rattling the man's cage, just a little. Jack always told him he was being passive aggressive and that he shouldn't piss of the man who was going to sew you back together.

"It's a third degree electrical burn." Bill said talking to Mac like he was a slow child. Mac wasn't the only one who knew how to get under someone's skin. Mac fidgeted impatiently. "It looks like the burnt tissue goes deep, we're going to have to debride it." Bill's face had a pitying look on it. Mac began to feel a little worried. He looked at his hand. Sure it had blisters and looked like something from an alien movie, but it was that bad? Mac scowled and glared at Bill who smiled, not in triumph but relief.

"Fine." Mac growled. At the end of the day, he had to admit the man had saved Mac's life on numerous occasions. Mac had respect for the man, but hated his whole profession. Mac knew it was grossly unfair, but memories of his mom whittling away piece by piece always haunted him anywhere that was remotely medical.

Mac jumped at a sharp sting on his arm, followed by a stinging burn. He looked down to see Sally removing a needle the size of the one in Seattle. Mac scowled.

"What the hell?" He whined rubbing his arm. Sally smiled sweetly. She reminded Mac of an elf, a really sadistic elf. Were all nurse's so gleeful when inflicting pain? Sally shrugged, not at all bothered by Mac's glare.

"Mac, " the doc began soothingly, "you have to have something on board for the debriding it's going to be very unpleasant." Mac glared at him blinking as everything seemed to get blurry around the edges.

"I 'ate you." He muttered. They pushed him horizontal on the table, he was having trouble focusing. Wherever they'd given him packed quite a wallop. He distantly heard a familiar voice. He opened his eyes, not realizing he'd closed them. Jack looked down at him with worry. Mac tried to reassure his friend that it was nothing and they were way overreacting but he felt like his mouth was full of marshmallows. Jack looked up at Bill who had hold of Mac's burnt hand and seemed to be telling Jack something important, but Mac couldn't follow the blur of conversation. It sounded like he was sitting in Charlie Brown's class trying to understand the teacher.

Jack smiled down at him and looked sad.

"Hang on bud." He said taking Mac's good hand and bracing his shoulder. Mac frowned up at him and was going to ask him why when the live wire was back. Mac's eyes widened and he tried to pull his arm away or hit the cause of pain. Jack held him to the table. Mac looked over at the doc who wore a mask and gloves and was slowly doing something to Mac's hand. Mac couldn't see past Sally's back, probably the idea. Mac's breathing increased and his heart began to pound. He was dimly aware of having an oxygen mask put on and people's faces slide through his field of vision talking to him, but it was lost in the haze of medication and cloud of pain.

Jack frowned taking in Mac's pale sweating and confusion. Sally had called him, knowing how badly Mac responds to treatment. Jack came up right away, of course. Jack saw that Mac was already sedated into la la land. He'd looked over at Sally and the smile she shared with him assured him Mac had no idea what was coming. Sally didn't pussyfoot around, and she was sneaky. In short, the perfect nurse for Mac.

Jack felt a little sick watching the doc attack Mac's hand with a combination of some sort of mild acid and a scraper like the one dentists used. Mac moaned in pain. Jack closed his eyes at the pain his partner was going through. Burns were the worst. Bill had explained that the electric had cooked the inside tissue and the outer tissue had to be removed so it could heal right. He'd also told Jack that there was only so much sedation he could give MacGyver. Jack shook his head. Mac would flat out refused.

"Stubborn as a mule." He muttered. Sally looked down at her patient,

"No, he could teach a mule something about stubbornness." She said. Jack laughed. Ain't that the truth. It felt like hours, but the wall clock showed only fifteen minutes later, the doc was done. Mac let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his eyes closing. Jack stopped holding his shoulder, but kept his friend's hand in his. Jack felt himself relax. He looked up as Sally carried a tray with strips of some sort of green slime in it and water.

"What's that?" He asked. Bob positively glowed with pride.

"This is something R and D medical came up with. It's a formula of algae that forms a living colloid bandage…" Seeing Jack's blank face, Bill tried again, "It's a bandage that will fill in for Mac's skin until his grows back. It's amazing. It helps with pain and doesn't have to be changed. We also think tit helps with infection."

"You think?" Bob sighed.

"We haven't exactly tried it on a live human yet, only animals and skin tissue we grew." Jack glared at the man, not pleased Mac was going to be a human guinea pig. Bill looked down, some of his enthusiasm leaving. He bent over Mac's hand and covered it in green goo. He waited a few minutes until it dried. Jack winced, it looked like Slimer had gotten Mac a good one. Once dried, the doc gently wrapped the hand up in sterile gauze. He and Sally left, Sally returned with a bottle of pills.

"Vicodin," Sally answered Jack's silent question. He nodded knowing that was the strongest medicine Mac would allow, and even then it almost took an act of congress before he'd take them. Sally handed him a small bag with rolls of gauze. "The wrappings have to be changed everyday so the goo…"

"Goo? That's what you call it?"

"It's still in development." Sally shrugged, "Anyway, it will flake off as his hand heals, the dressings are to prevent it from flaking off before then." Jack nodded taking the bag and putting the meds in it. Sally patted him on the shoulder and left the cubicle. Mac gave a small groan and was slowly lifting his heavy eyelids. Jack smiled down at him

"Hey bud." Mac frowned.

"Wh..re yo..hre…" Mac grumbled. Jack sighed.

"Why am I ever here?" He answered philosophically. Mac tried to glare at him, but he was having trouble focusing. Whatever they'd given Mac was good stuff evidently.

The doctor entered the cubicle.

"I talked to Matilda, she seems like a lovely woman." Jack stared at the man. Bill hurriedly kept going.

"Mac and you are off the roster for a week." Jack nodded, not surprising, but really not a good time to begin working with the Hun. Mac looked up at him and slurred something, his eyes rolling back. Sally returned with a wheelchair.

"Let's get him out of here before he wakes up enough to raise a fuss." Jack met Sally's smile. He liked the woman. All three bent and lifted the limp MacGyver into the wheelchair. He tried to hold his head up but it kept sagging forward. Bill put a small oxygen tank on a holder at the back of the wheelchair and hooked Mac's mask up. Jack looked up worried.

"Oh he'll be fine. This is just precautionary. When he is awake to enough to raise a snit he can take it off." Jack laughed. He and Sally wheeled a groggy Mac out to Jack's waiting car. He'd parked up front, illegally, but the parking attendants knew better than to ticket him. Sally helped maneuver Mac into the car and worked his oxygen tank into the back seat. Mac tried to glare at her and mumbled something at her that by its tone would not have been nice. Sally laughed as she hooked Mac's seat belt and slowly closed the door. Mac immediately leaned against the window and closed his eyes.

"He'll probably be out an hour or two, but try to make him rest tonight if you can. Bland foods." Sally said. Jack grinned at her.

"Thanks, Sally. I know Mac is never nice to you guys, but…" Sally waved him off as she rolled the wheelchair away.

"We know he's just scared and won't admit it, besides he's one of our favorite patients." Jack's eyebrows raised. Sally laughed, "We know when he comes in he's not wasting out time and he's repaired most of the equipment we have at least twice." Jack nodded as he got into his car. Jack was respected and a little feared by everyone at Phoenix, but Mac was universally admired and most of the employees loved him. Whenever maintenance had a problem Mac was on the short list of who they called. Jack frowned looking over at his sleeping friend.

Thornton had encouraged that, knowing it kept Mac from being bored and saved Phoenix a lot of money, would Matty? Jack wondered how Mac's review had gone. Matty had saved Jack's ass more than once, and he gave her fair probs for noticing the seriousness of Mac's burn, Jack scowled, something he should have picked up on, but he knew Matty liked rules and following protocols. Matty cared deeply for those under her command, but she didn't like cowboying, as she called it. She had good reason to, Jack supposed with a twinge of guilt, more than once it had come back to bite her in the ass as well as costing several agents their lives, but Mac was different. His improvising was...maybe not well thought out, and maybe not always the perfect plan...but effective and brilliant. Two tours in Afghanistan without firing a gun, outside of qualifying, and their impressive success rate must count for something, right?

Riley and Bozer crossed to his car peering at Mac with worry. Jack got out and faced the glare of accusation from both. He held up a placating hand.

"He's fine. Doc Bill knocked him out to fix his hand."

"His hand?" Riley said.

"Why'd he have to knock him out, how bad is his hand?" Bozer demanded. Jack sighed knowing they would be grilling him for the next hour or until Mac woke up. He crossed over to Mac and with Bozer's help gently lifted him from the car while Riley wrangled the O2 tank behind them. Mac's eyes rolled open and he grumbled a protest. Although they couldn't understand it, they knew what he was saying. They heard it any time they tried to help him. Jack frowned. For one who helped others so selfishly, Mac refused help almost to the point of insanity.

They tucked him into a soft nest they made for him on the couch. He closed his eyes and appeared to be sleeping. Jack sighed in relief. He pulled a can of Coke from the fridge and turned to face the accusations of his other teammates.

When Mac slowly opened his eyes, he felt like he'd been flattened by a cement mixer. His hand throbbed but was manageable. Truth be told it felt much better than it did before, not that he would admit that, of course. He blinked in surprise finding himself on his own couch. Mac frowned but was not able to conjure up any memories about how he got here. He reached up and pulled the oxygen mask off dropping it on the floor not having the energy to do much more. What the hell had they given him? He'd woken up after surgery feeling better than he did now. His eyes roved the room until they met those of Riley who sat on the recliner flipping through channels. She set the remote down, and perched on the coffee table.

"Hey there." She said softy. Mac blinked and tried to mumble something, but his mouth felt like it was glued shut. Riley smiled pulling a lock of blonde hair out of his eyes.

"I'll get you something to drink." She said. Mac nodded with gratitude. She came back with a tall glass of iced tea, a lemon in it and lots of sugar. She steadied him as he sat up and he sucked down almost the whole glass stopping when he started coughing.

"Hey easy, easy." Riley patted him on the back.

"I'm fine." He said, glad to have his voice back. He turned and sat upright. He closed his eyes and waited for the room to stop see sawing. He looked down at his hand and easily moved his fingers and thumb. Mac sighed in relief. He went to pull off the dressing. Riley snapped at his hand. He glared at her and went to take it off, she slapped his hand and leaned forward.

"If you don't leave that alone I will erase the last six months of files and you will have to redo them all." Mac glared at her. She met his gaze with a sweet smile. Mac dropped his hand in his lap.

"You've been spending too much time with Jack." Mac said in his best I-hate-you voice. She smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Like you said, once in awhile he's right." Mac sighed and sat back.

"Where is Jack and Bozer?"

"They're getting supplies." Mac looked at her with dread.

"Supplies?" She patted him on the shoulder then went over to the recliner.

"I found a documentary about nanorobots?" She offered. He raised his eyebrow. With Jack it always ended up being Bruce Willis, with Bozer it was always something sci-fi or classic horror movie. Mac never complained glad to have his friends happy. He'd never been a super fan of watching TV, he always had something to do.

"Dude, it's robots!" Riley said as if she was pointing out the obvious. Mac grinned at her and settled down into the documentary. They were so engrossed in it, they didn't hear the others come back until Jack let out,

"Oh my God, it's invasion of the nerds!" Riley looked up startled. Mac didn't look up, but scowled telling Jack he was still pissed at his partner. Jack grinned setting bags of groceries on the counter. Bozer came over and picked up the oxygen tubing and tank, glaring at Mac. Mac met his gaze calmly. Bozer shook his head.

"Jack told us about how bad your burns are, why didn't you tell us?" Bozer growled standing up. Mac felt a small twinge of guilt.

"They aren't that bad, Matty over reacted…"

"Over reacted? Dude they carved chunks off and used some experimental goo…" Jack almost shouted.

"Goo?" Mac said his mouth quirking up at the corners.

"Yes, that is the technical term." Jack defended. "You should have called me." Mac sighed and nodded. If he conceded defeat he knew the lecture would be shorter.

"You're right, I guess I didn't realize how bad it was." He looked down at his hands not wanted to face the three frustrated glares he was getting, which he didn't feel were entirely fair. The other three held the glare a long minute then Bozer clapped Mac on the shoulder.

"That's ok, we're here to take care of you for a full week." He crowed. Mac looked up in dread.

"No, you don't have to do that…" He started diplomatically. "I'm fine, really." The other three just smiled at him, it was a little creepy, Mac thought. He tried a different tact. "Besides, you have to work, we have a new boss…"

"Who gave us the week off, apparently Thornton left specific notes in your file about how to handle medical emergencies.

"Traitor." Mac growled under his breath, and he didn't mean to Phoenix itself. To the others he said, "This isn't a medical emergency, I just burned my hand a little…"

"You guys were right, he is cute when he pouts." Riley said smiling. Mac felt his face redden.

"I am not pouting!" He protested. The others shared an amused, and a, Mac thought, condescending smile. He sat back and huffed, pouting.

"Just watch you're nerd fest, Boze and I are making some of his mom's homemade soup." Mac's eyebrows raised, first at Jack's cooking something that didn't get thrown into a microwave then at Mama Bozer's homemade soup. He loved it, when he was sick.

"I'd rather have some take-out." Mac declared.

"Sorry amigo, the doc said bland foods for the next day or two." Jack added. Mac snorted in frustration. Before he could say anything, Riley changed the subject.

"So what do you think of Matty?" Riley asked.

"I love the woman!" Bozer gushed.

"You would." Jack said bringing out a cutting board and cutting carrots.

"I thought she was fair, I'm still on the team that's good enough for me." Riley added. Mac stared down at his hands as the others talked. Even Jack had good things to say about Matty, although he spoke them with reluctant.

"...Mac?" Jack asked. Mac looked up surprised to find Jack sitting in front of him on the coffee table. He frowned. He'd tuned the others out. He looked at the others who were leaning forward worried. The smell of the soup made his stomach growl. How long had he been thinking?

"Yeah she's fine." He said softly. He smiled at Bozer. "That smells wonderful."

"Of course it does." Bozer said absently.

"How did your review go?" Riley asked nervously. They had been so happy with their own, it never occurred to them Mac's might not have gone well.

"Good enough, I guess."

"Are you pissed because she sent you to medical?" The ever blunt Jack asked. Mac glared at him with genuine anger. Jack blinked surprised. Mac stood up and went to move past Jack. He'd had enough of coddling. Jack blocked his way, concern on his face.

"Seriously, what happened?"

"Seriously, it's fine." Mac growled again trying to step passed Jack. Again the older man blocked his hand. Mac glared at the hand. Jack removed it and stepped out of the way. Mac stormed out the front door and slammed it.

"What the hell? What would Matty tell him to piss him off? I've never seen Mac pissed off." Riley said.

"I don't know." Jack said thoughtfully, although a suspicion was growing in his mind.

"Well someone needs to go talk to him." Bozer said looking at Jack. Jack nodded and went out the door. Mac was pacing in the driveway bouncing the basketball with a fair amount of force. He used both hands and didn't seem to mind the pain it caused. Jack strode up to him and took the ball. Mac glared at him. Jack braced himself for a punch. He would welcome a punch. Mac taking frustration out on Jack was better than the younger man hurting himself more.

"Talk to me, Mac. Was it really that bad?" Mac turned around and started to pace in a circle.

"No, I suppose not. I understand where she is coming from." Mac sighed. He stopped and looked down the steep hill that gave an awesome view of the valley.

"I'm guessing she doesn't get what you do, or how you do it?" Mac's startled expression answered Jack's question, "I worked with her a long time, remember?" Mac nodded.

"I am tired of having to prove myself. She put me on probation, if I slip up one time I have to play by her rules." Jack's eyes narrowed. He'd have to have some words with the Hun. Mac put so much stress on himself, to add in this...self doubt could very well distract him at the time they needed him to do his thing. Mac's record of success should allow more leeway, Jack thought. And if something went sideways, making Mac play by her rules? That's like putting the kid in a straight jacket and forcing Mac not to be Mac anymore.

"So what did you tell her?" Mac looked at him with a small smile.

"I told her I'd love the challenge." Jack grinned, he knew Mac wouldn't give up with a fight.

"So what's the problem? Just be yourself, you'll wow her and on we go." Jack offered.

"I'm off to a terrific start." Mac said glaring at his hand. Jack nodded. Mac was pissed at everyone making a big deal out of what he considered an inconsequential wound. Jack sighed.

"Look, I know Matty. She won't count this against you…" He trailed off at Mac's glare. And nodded understanding Mac's worry. He went over and put his arm around Mac's shoulders. "...And if she does she'll have to fire all of us." Mac went to protest. Jack turned around and nodded toward Riley and Bozer standing behind him, arms crossed determination on their faces.

"Absolutely." Riley said.

"We can start our own damn think tank." Bozer added. Mac smiled and looked down at the ground. After a pause he looked up and smiled,

"Is the soup done? I'm starving" The others grinned and led the way back into the house. Jack noticed the smile on Mac's face dim. He sighed at the pressure his partner put on himself. Jack rolled his eyes following him in. Jack didn't doubt the kid. He knew Matty will be blown away but the kid can do. And Jack would make sure she gave him enough time to show her.


	13. Episode 15: magnifying glass

**Episode 15: Magnifying Glass**

Jack could feel his heart break for Matty. He watched her as she went through the details of the murder of her goddaughter Vanessa Frank. Anyone who didn't know her would think she was mildly upset, but Jack knew better. Matty was no stranger to death or violence, but the tremble in her voice, the stiffness of her back, she shaking of her hands. Jack knew she was wishing for a trigger to pull. Jack glanced at the others Riley had the same look of concern on her face as Jack assumed was on his. Bozer was oozing empathy but also looked a little sick. Reading about serial killers and watching movies about them was very different than being face to face with the damage their particular brand of crazy brought.

Mac looked at the video footage of the victims with a curiosity others might label as indifference or uncaring. But Jack knew better. Mac was able to set himself and his feelings aside to concentrate on the problem at hand, he would fall apart later if he had to. Jack could compartmentalize with the best of them, but he knew he couldn't in this case. He looked unsure at Matty as she dimmed the windows. The tears pooling behind her professional mask just about killed him. He wanted to say something, anything...but what could he say that wouldn't hurt Matty more than he already had? Matty looked at him after the others promised help. He swallowed at the doubt he saw. Did she really doubt he wouldn't do what he could to help her? When he finally managed to sputter out a promise he'd do anything, Matty's look of relief almost made him cry. When had things gotten so messed up between them?

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

In hindsight, Mac would say that the reasons he did one of the craziest and most ill thought out actions he'd ever done came down to three, the broken discarded body of Vanessa Frank, the pain so visible in Matty's face at the loss of a girl like her own daughter, and the tearful face of his partner saying that he didn't want to let Matty down again. Some, one Jack Dalton anyway, would say that Mac was just insane. As Mac grabbed the cable and wrapped it around his beltloop then ran without hesitation out a third story building, he definitely agreed with Jack. Mac winced as glass tore into his cheek and neck. He managed to pivot in midair and tried to control his descent. Unlike rapelling however, this cable was not attached to anything unmovable. Mac heard the thwacking of it pulling out sections of the plaster and baseboards. He braced for impact hoping he would come out somewhere near the guy Jack was chasing. Mac definitely was. He cried out in pain as he literally landed on top of his target. Mac's breath whooshed out as the man's shoulder hit him solidly in the side.

"That looked seriously painful, are you ok,bud?" Jack called as he bound the bad guy, or assumed bad guy. Mac blinked a long minute trying to suck air in past the entire collections of aches and pains that screamed at him from everywhere. "Mac?"

"Wasn't my best landing." Mac finally hissed out as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. He almost fell back to the ground when one of his legs would hold him. Jack had come over to his side and managed to hold his arm out for Mac to catch. Jack watched him as the younger man closed his eyes. Jack could tell the kid had seriously hurt himself, but also knew Mac wouldn't slow down until the bastard was caught. Jack glanced over to the dirty man in wrist ties, he really hoped this was the guy. Mac pulled away from Jack and limped over to the stairs Jack hand run down. His right leg seemed like it didn't want to move in time with the other and Mac held a hand over his right side. He sat down and leaned forward breathing. Jack looked up at the third story window Mac had exploded out of.

"Kid that was epic!" Jack said in awe. The man at his feet began to try to speak and squirm. Jack kicked him in the side. "Not talking to you yet, man, chill." Jack crossed to Mac's side. "Are you ok, Mac? Be real now?" Mac looked up at the window, his face a little pale. He shook his head and winced.

"I'll worry about that when we get this sicko." He said as he levered himself stiffly over to their prisoner.

Mac was nothing if not a master of hiding pain. As they chased after the guy to rescue Riley, Jack almost forgot about his injuries-almost. Mac would wobble getting up off the floor, or have to pause to move his leg, or take a second breathing deeply. Jack knew he was desperate to keep this away from Matty's attention, especially following the ultimatum in his evaluation, but Jack was beginning to think the kid would end up just falling over. Mac's stamina and drive often surprised Jack. Jack wasn't really sure why it still did, but he also knew that at the end of the day Mac was not superman. He could put off the pain, but like everyone else he would have to pay for it.

Mac limped down the theater aisle as they followed the film can of smoking chemicals to the stage. Mac dove up to cut a terrified Riley free of the chair she'd been tied to. Jack scanned the area around them Riley pointed down the wing to her left. Jack took off. He was dimly aware of Mac staggering behind him. Jack tried to focus on the manequins around him. Honestly, they were almost as bad as robots, Jack wouldn't be surprised if they teamed up together in the robocalypse. Jack heard the skuff of a shoe and brought up his pistol. Mac, now very pale, held up his hands. Jack let out a relieved breath. He was about to remind his partner exactly why you don't sneak up on a dude with a gun, especially when surrounded by hostile plastic humanoids. Mac gave a groan and slumped against the wall. Jack ran forward. Mac was breathing hard. Before Jack could say a word, Mac pointed behind him. Jack whirled to see his quarry escaping upstairs. Jack turned back to Mac, Mac waved him off. Jack took off after the fauxdiac killer, and found him sprawled out beneath a very furious Riley holding up a sizeable pipe.

"Daaamn." Jack whispered. When it looked like Riley just might beat the guy into a flat smear on the carpet, Jack got between them and restrained the guy. He was pissed off to learn it was the second time in the day he'd handcuffed this dude. Jack considered letting Riley have a little time to play, but he was distracted by the arrival of Matty and her hoarde of cops. Things got busy then rounding up everything. He called Steve MacGarret and dispite swapping insults, it was good to talk to his buddy again. He saw Mac talking to Matty. Unless you were looking at the slight changes in his normal body stance and how pale he looked, you would think he was perfectly fine. Jack could see the miniscule sway and rushed over to them. He heard Matty,

"What you did here was a miracle, I don't like relying on miracles." Mac nodded and gave her a medium watt smile. She smiled back, nodded at Jack and walked away. Mac looked over at Jack, his blue eyes dim with pain.

"C'mon bud," Mac hissed as he reached out to drape an arm over his friend's shoulder. His right leg barely wanted to move. Mac ducked his head, his eyes closed as he forced himself to keep breathing through pain. "You know jumping off buildings might be cool, ya know. But if you do it again without about fifteen feet of padding, I'll kill you myself. "

"Got it." Mac wheezed. Jack had parked off a side entrance, it was a little longer walk but they were less likely to be seen.

"You are certifiably insane, you know that? Why would you ever even think of jumping out a fricking third story window? I had him, you know that right?"

"Uh-hmmm." Mac gasped as they neared Jack's car. Jack climbed in the driver's side. He texted Bozer and Riley to cover for them as they went to ER. He glanced over as Mac braced to turn to latch the seatbelt. Jack reached over and took the belt fastening it so his friend wouldn't have to twist painfully. Mac smiled at him and layed his head back.

"You know I think all these years, you've been lying to me!" Jack said. Mac opened a painful eye to glare at him in surprise. "You always say "I don't like heights" 'oh, I'm just terrified of heights' then you go chasing a fricking plane down the runway, as it takes off, mind you, but no you aren't done there, you have to jump out of a freaking third story freacking window…" Jack let out a huff of air as he turned into traffic. He glanced over at Mac who was glaring at him through a wall of pain."

"Then no, can he be like a normal dude and just sit down, go to the hospital, put his feet up with some tea-"

"Tea?" Mac gasped.

"Yes, Tea! Or no it wouldn't be tea, it'd be the nastiest most sugary highly caffienated crap you could find, be cause take care of yourself, hell what's the point of that, right?" Mac just stared at Jack an eyebrow raised. Jack shook a finger at Mac. "You want to make me bald, that's it isn't it?" Mac laughed and broke off holding his side.

"Bald seriously?" Mac gasped. Jack nodded.

"Or kill me off for my Shelby…"

"Jack-" Mac started.

"Oh, I know, a nervous breakdown so I'm in the funny farm with you, you want us to be roommates…"

"Jack-"

"I'll end up coloring and making ashtrays out of play-doh all day and it'll all be your fault."

"Ashtrays?"

"Or candle holders, who knows. That's beside the point." They went over a bump. Mac curled forward, closing his eyes, yelping in pain. Jack put a hand on his partner's back.

"Mac?" Mac slowly sat back forefully taking slow deep breaths, his forehead split by the furrow he gets when he's in really bad pain. He was more pale and sweat was coating his face. Jack let out a frustrated breath. "You're killing me kid." He said softly turning into the parking lot leading up to the ER. Mac looked over at him and smiled weakly.

"Will you shut up about it if I solemnly swear never to do it again?" Mac gasped.

"Solemnly?"

"Seriously, Jack. This sucks." Mac moaned. Jack pulled up and got out crossing to Mac's door. He reached over and undid the seat belt. He gently uncoiled it from Mac's arm. A nurse in blue scrubs came up behind him with a wheelchair. Jack waggled a finger in Mac's face.

"No more jumping off buildings?" Mac sucked in air as he was hauled to his feet then helped to sit down. He was almost completely white and was beginning to shiver. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

"Yes, Jack." He muttered closing his eyes as the nurse wheeled him around and pushed him toward the automatic doors. Jack let out a breath of relief when they took Mac right back. He stood just outside the door closing his eyes and leaned back against the wall. He found himself chuckling. Third story window! Stupid kid. Jack did have to admit it was pretty epic, Mac could really be a badass sometimes.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Riley knocked. When there was no answer, she hesitated then opened the door between their suites. Bozer laid stretched out on his bed in the room he and Mac shared. Jack and Mac had taken off after everything settled down. Riley suspected Mac had hurt himself, again, but was trying to keep Matty out of the loop about it. Riley thought she'd heard 'jump' and 'third story window.' She'd get the full story later. She walked closer, Bozer was humming to himself and waving a hand back and forth to music blasting in his earphones. Riley smiled down at him. She really liked Bozer, she just wished he'd be content to be friends instead of always playing the game, badly. Riley supposed she should be flattered, but it gets old. She took a deep breath fighting the urge to scan the room for the millionth time. She swallowed. Riley tapped Bozer's shoe. He squawked and sat up scurrying away. He took a deep breath and grinned at Riley.

"Jeez, Riley! You about scared the crap right out of me! Damn, girl." Riley smiled but looked down at the floor. This had been a mistake she almost turned to leave, but the idea of staying in the empty room by herself, she wrapped her arms across her chest and shivered. Bozer threw his headphones down and stood in front of Riley. "Riley, are you ok? What's wrong? What can I do?" Riley looked up into his rediculously caring eyes. She looked down.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Boze, it's just...with Matty gone…" Bozer's eyes widened. He bundled Riley under his arm and brought her over to Mac's bed. He turned long enough to pull back the covers, grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Riley.

"Stay in here tonight." Bozer blurted. Riley looked up at him smiling, with an eyebrow raised. "No, I don't mean it like that...I know everybody thinks I'm a creeper because I knew your password, but Riley I never meant…"

"Boze, it's ok. I...I just don't want to be alone tonight and...I could really use a friend." Riley felt her eyes pool with tears. Bozer wrapped her in a big Bozer hug.

"I ain't no Mac or Jack, but I sure can scream loud enough to bring the building down, I'll keep you safe, Ri." Riley bent her head laughing. She wiped at a tear and turned to Mac's, now her bed. She slid under the covers and pulled them up. She pulled up her knees and wrapped her hands around them. "I promise you, Riley I will do whatever I have to do to keep you safe and I am a perfect gentleman…" Riley smiled at him gratefully.

"Unless of course, you don't want me to be?" Riley rolled her eyes. She glanced at Bozer and he smiled, he was only joking to cheer her up. She felt herself wiping wetness from under her eyes. She took in a breath surprised at how shaky she felt. Bozer came over and sat on the edge of her bed. He cocked his head and looked at her.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked gently.

"No." Riley said. He nodded got up and returned to his own bed. He was about to put on his headphones. "You saved my life twice tonight, ya know." Bozer sat slowly down on the side of his bed and waited. Riley took a deep breath. "I'm not mad about the password, Boze...although if it happens again…" She looked at him menacingly. He held up the boyscout salute. Riley laughed. "You were in scouts?"

"Yes, and unlike Mac I didn't get kicked out." Bozer declared. Riley smiled then looked down.

"Boze you were right, what you said before about the only way to fight a serial killer was to get inside his head and work him." Riley began to shiver. Bozer didn't say anything, but moved over to her bed. He put warm hands on hers.

"I can't imagine how scared you were." He said softly. "I mean, when Murdoc shot up our house...I was terrified, but one on one with a murderer...a real serial killer." Bozer shut his eyes and shuddered.

"I felt better after beating the crap out of him." Riley said softly. Bozer looked at her surprised then grinned.

"Girl, you get down with your bad self." He said. She laughed at the admiration in his voice. They were quiet a minute. She met his gaze with a serious look.

"Bozer...thank you, seriously, thank you." Riley could again feels tears threaten her eyelashed. Bozer reached over and wrapped her in a gentle hug. He held on until he felt her shivering slow. He backed up and nodded, not saying a word. He crossed over to his bed, put on his headphones and lost himself in the music. Riley sighed climbing deeper under the covers. She felt herself relax. She smiled, noticing neither one of them wanted to turn the light out to sleep. They were both still really freaked out. At least they were freaked out together.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The day was deceptively nice, warm air coming from the bay. Jack slowly made his way across the cemetery. He didn't really mind going to visit cemeteries, he always thought they had a peace about them. Jack paused uncertain. Matty stood by herself holding a red rose over a dug up plot of dirt. Jack frowned. Recent graves always looked so...disturbed as if the body in them hadn't quite got comfortable in their bed yet. He knew it wouldn't be long before the headstone was in place, especially if Matty was making the arrangements, but it made everything feel unfinished. Jack supposed it was like the little girl's life. He looked down sadly, visions of the girl's shot body flipping through his mind. He slowly walked up to stand beside Matty. Matty didn't look up at him. Jack wasn't sure what to say, or if he should say anything. His dad always told him when in doubt shut up. He just stood beside her with his head bowed.

After a long silence, Matty placed the rose on the grave. Jack thought that it was like a place marker, a sign of love declaring someone was burried there that mattered to someone. It made him feel a mite tearful. He still waited, not exactly sure what he was waiting for. A minute later he felt a small hand grab his. He wrapped his hand gently around hers. They stood like that for a long minute. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile and nod, Jack smiled back. Matty let go of his hand and walked slowly toward her rental. Jack watched her go, a sad look on his face.

"That little lady loves ya kiddo." He said to the grave. He bent and straightened the rose then turned to leave. "Vanessa, forget about all the bad stuff just go be with your people...and if you see my dad, he'll take care of you too, right? Bye." Jack rubbed at his eyes as he returned to his car.

Mac watched him trudge up the hill to the car. Jack got in and sniffed. Mac looked at him without speaking.

"Damn allergies." Jack muttered starting the car and putting on his yellow lensed aviator glasses. Mac smiled in sympathy.

"Time for them." He commented. Jack looked out at the lonely grave.

"Damn right." He whispered.


	14. Episode 16: Hook

Gib, this one's for you! :)

 **Episode 16: Hook**

As a proud Texan, Jack had been in a few bar brawls, he'd even started a few, but when one bounty hunter suddenly turned into six bearded, burly rednecks he felt the pit of his stomach did just a little. He ducked under a cue and launched a right haymaker that pushed the guy back, before he could follow up with another punch he was slammed in the back of the head by a cue stick. Jack fell to one knee, wincing at the stickiness of the floor.

"Mac, can use some help." Jack yelled blinking away stars and breaking out of a bear hug the guy behind him hadn't quite locked in yet. Jack whirled to punch the guy he'd started out with only to picked up and body slammed onto the pool table. He groaned.

"I'm working on it." Mac called. Jack kicked out and rolled off the table. He picked up a pool ball and tossed it at one of the four other guys who were waiting to get their turn at him. Suddenly Mac came up from behind him and threw some homemade nunchucks into his hand. Jack grinned, now we're talking! He slapped out one guy and backed up the other ones. Then he went to whip the weapon down to take out one of the guys only to see it had somehow broken in half. Jack stared at it a second part in dread and part pissed off. That distraction was all Ned needed, Jack was again body slammed onto the pool table. Ned leaned over Jack smiling like a shark. Jack managed to put a hand under the biter's chin.

"I thought you were only kidding." Jack grimaced. "You do have nice teeth…" Jack snarled trying to kick the man. Ned put a hand on Jack's throat lifting him up and slamming him back down. Jack gasped in pain and lost his grip on Ned. He twisted his head aside wincing as Ned went for the jugular. The man looked like someone that lived out in the wilderness for months, but his breath was really minty. Probably from rinsing blood out. Jack growled and slammed his head sideways into Ned's ear. The man missed Jack's neck and fell face first into the pool table.

Jack grunted and lifted with all his strength. The man rolled away and slid off the table. Jack did an awkward roll over his shoulder and came up standing on the table. He kicked out bloodying the beards and noses of two. Then one of the guys smacked Jack in the back of the knees, yet again Jack slammed into the pool table. His breath whooshed out at him. He painfully sucked in wind, punching Ned's face as the cannibal tried to latch onto his throat again.

Hands grabbed one of his legs. Jack knew he was in danger of being pinned then held down as a buffet for Ned to chomp into. Jack kicked out with his other foot freeing both legs. Ned was again chomping holding Jack down by his shoulders.

"I am...done...with...you…" Jack said worming free and punching Ned, rolling off the table following the man to the ground. Ned looked up and whimpered. Jack kicked him right in his perfect shark teeth. The man spewed blood from his broken mouth but didn't get up again. One down five more to go. Jack almost tripped over a cue stick. He picked it up and smiled at the other five who were staring at Ned then looked at each other as if daring each other to go first.

Jack blinked against dizziness and took the opportunity to catch his breath. One guy, bigger than Ned but without the good teeth crept forward, Jack could see himself being flanked. He backed away trying to reach the door. Jack frowned. As Delta he had learned to use most anything, and he'd watched plenty of action movies, everything from Bruce Lee to his beloved Bruce Willis, but Jack had to admit to himself, he really had no idea how to use a staff effectively in a fight other than a straight bludgeon.

What Jack did know was the value of intimidation, and crazy. Probably more about crazy truth be told. He screamed, it came out something between a war cry, a football cheer and a good ol' Texas whoop. He spun like a top and whirled the stick in every direction. He did feel three solid hits. Jack stopped and stepped back whipping the cue stick down to the side, forcing himself to stand up straight and eyeball the red necks with the most intimidating stare he had. They all backed up staring at each other in confusion. Jack tried to hide the fact he was actually using the stick to hold himself upright.

"Now boys, " He said trying to channel John Wayne, "I can do this all day and y'all are gonna end up broken like your buddy Ned there…" The others looked down at Ned fidgeting. "...Or I could buy you another round of beer and we can call it a day." They all looked at each other, grinned and in sync yelled,

"BEER!" Jack smiled. They guys swarmed him patting him on the back and one guy threw his arm around Jack.

"You ain't too bad after all!" He yelled. Jack grimaced as he was jostled back and forth and every bruise and cut sang out. A mug of beer was thrown in his face. He took it, all the others raised their mugs with animal shouts of approval. Jack nervously nodded and drank down half the mug in one gulp. There was another round of back slapping and everyone guzzled down their beer. Jack saluted then finished the beer. It was good, cold beer. He just had to take one for the team, right? After they all finished they looked at Jack as if they were deciding to continue the beat on Jack party. Jack waved over to a waitress. He pulled out all the money in his pocket wincing as he remembered he'd just gotten paid. He put the whole wad on the woman's tray.

"Darlin', just keep the rounds coming for my boys until all that's done, and keep a little for yourself." He was again cheered and saluted.

"Been real, fellas." He said nodding. He pivoted and staggered out the cafe's doors. He got to the driveway in time to see the man who caused all this mess skidding away in his red truck and his friend, his partner, his co-pilot watching him go with a satisfied smile. Jack walked up to Mac and grabbed him by his coat.

"You just let him go? I almost got my face bitten off!" Jack roared. Mac looked at him puzzled.

"No, I didn't…" Mac defended. Jack let him go and leaned on his knees as the world seemed to spin around him. "...your phone?" Jack looked up, Mac was holding out his hand.

"Are you serious? Why don't we use your phone? Whenever we use my phone it gets broken up and guess who has to answer for it…?" Mac scowled at him. Jack forced himself to stand up and handed over his phone. Mac called Riley, he turned to the car. "Give me my phone!" Mac turned angry and slammed it into Jack's chest. Jack closed his eyes against the flare of pain that caused. Jack mumbled under his breath as he staggered to the car. Mac was babbling something or other. Jack got in and closed his eyes trying to stop the world from spinning. He reminded himself how much paper it would be to kill or maim Mac. He took in a wheezing breath and noticed the car was quiet. He sat and enjoyed it a second then turned to Mac.

Mac was frowning at him.

"What?" Jack breathed.

"Are you ok?" Mac asked with real concern. Jack stared at him, turned on the car and huffed.

"Just tell me where we're going."

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Jack watched as Mac strolled over to the car.

"Get the pie! Get the pie!" He murmured. Jack was damned if he had to take on a herd of rednecks, one being a human crocodile, five miles of running, playing blind man's bluff with bullets and nagging from Mac without reward! Now Mama Colton's buttermilk pie almost made up for his aches and pains, almost. Jack huffed. He'd taken on Spetsnaz, Al Qaeda, ISIS and a whole lot of guys who didn't really have names, but he never went home feel as tired and abused as he did right now. He leaned on the steering wheel trying his best to not puke up Mama's pie. He thought of how the matriarch of the bounty hunter clan would react and shuddered.

He doubted they would understand or have sympathy for the knot on his head that was probably a concussion. He looked up bleary eyes as Mac climbed into car, with two pies and grinned at Jack. Jack nodded. He burped a combination of hot sauce and buttermilk pie and closed his eyes trying to keep it down. He winced as Mac touched his sore shoulder.

"Jack, are you alright?" Mac asked. Jack tried to smile at him, but it was a grimace of agony. Mac leaned forward and tried to grab the keys. Jack glared at him, not daring to speak. If he let Mac drive, he really would puke. Mac sat back, worry on his face. Jack forced himself to face forward and drove until they were well out of sight of the Coltons. Then he pulled over fell to his knees and puked. He gagged then puked again. He spit wincing at the stinging of a cut on the inside of his cheek. Jack knew a pretty bruise would be coming out there in the next few days. He tried to stand up, but everything spun and his knees hit the gravel, hard.

He felt arms haul him to his feet and duck under his arm. Jack blinked. He'd always known there was more to Mac than most saw, but the kid was pretty much carrying him to the far side of the car. Mac leaned Jack against the rear quarter then helped him into the passenger's seat. Jack leaned his head back too miserable to notice when Mac strapped him in. There was a pause. Jack breathed in the soft grassy wind of the woods and fields beside the narrow road. There was no noise except the soft song of birds and the pounding of his heart in his aching head.

"Here." Mac said at his elbow. Jack slowly turned his head to face Mac. Mac held up a cloth napkin soaked in water. Jack took it and wiped his face. He sighed then put the rag over his eyes. He winced at the slam of the door and the opening of the driver's door. Mac slid the seat back. Jack's height was in his torso, Mac was all legs. He turned the key and Jack could feel his friend's worried look. Normally Jack would have reassured Mac he was fine, but Jack felt way too crappy for that at the moment.

Jack opened his eyes at the sound of the door. He removed the rag, which was now dry and blinked up at Mac. Jack groaned sitting up and taking in his surroundings. His eyes widened as he realized they had pulled up to his house.

"How long was I out?" He slurred. Mac smiled reaching out a hand. Jack went to undo his seat belt surprised to find it was off. He frowned to notice his shirt was pulled out of his pants and left open. He glared at Mac.

"I had to make sure you're ok, and you've been in and out for the past four hours. You're going to have to tell me what beer has to do with nice teeth and minty breath." Jack sighed bracing himself for movement. He moaned, it was just as bad as he thought it was going to be. He wrapped his arm around Mac's shoulders and again the kid damn near carried him into the house. He blinked. His couch was made up with clean sheets and pillows from his bedroom. The coffee table that normally was covered with a sliding landfill of take out boxes and papers was cleared. Jack blinked. His whole house looked like it had been scrubbed from top to bottom. On the coffee table sat a tall glass of ice with what looked like Sprite, two pills and organized by release date all of his Bruce Willis collection.

Jack swallowed around a lump. Mac smiled.

"Come on." Mac said gently. He led the way to the bathroom. The tub was full of steaming water, suds and Jack could make out the smell of muscle relaxer. Mac helped Jack into the tub. He laid with his eyes closed feeling the ache of his muscles and sting of his bruises melt. He looked around the bathroom and smiled. His favorite t-shirt and sweats were neatly folded on the side of the sink on top of his favorite fluffy towels. Beside them was a pile of creams and bandages. Jack smiled fondly at the care his friend had taken.

Mac tapped on the door. Jack looked up.

"It's been two hours, do you feel up to some soup or toast?" Mac asked.

"Soup would be great." Mac smiled.

"Can you get out and fix yourself up, or do you need help?" Jack thought a minute then looked at Mac.

"Might need some help." Jack said honestly. Mac nodded and without another word came in and helped Jack out. He let Jack dry himself off then helped with bandaging. He left Jack to get dressed and went to put on a can of chicken noodle soup. Jack shuffled to the living room and slowly sank into the couch. He pulled the covers up and celebrated the feeling of being warm, cozy and less hurting. Mac came over to him, balancing a bowl of soup. He put it down.

"It might be a little too hot. I had to fix your stove, but I didn't have the right kind of metal to make a good connection...I'll do that tomorrow." Mac trailed off seeing Jack staring at him. Mac smiled nervously."What?"

"You did all this for me?" Jack said softly. Mac stared at him surprised.

"Yeah, why? You take care of me all the time." Mac said shaking his head as if Jack had just said the dumbest thing ever. Jack felt tears sting his eyes. Mac looked worried and handed Jack the pills and Sprite. "I found out you had an old prescription for vicodin so got it refilled." Mac explained. Jack took the pills without comment and sighed at the coolness of the Sprite. Mac put a hand on Jack's arm. "Slow down buddy or it'll be coming back up." Jack managed about half of the soup and emptied the glass of Sprite before his eyes became heavy. Mac buzzed around him like a bee, a silent bee. He organized Jack's cupboards, fixing one that had a broken hinge. He did something to the refrigerator making it run almost silently. He put clothes in the washing machine, stopped it crawled under it, then restarted it with a satisfied smile. He made Jack tired. Jack closed his eyes falling into a deep sleep.

When Mac saw Jack was asleep, he smiled fondly and tucked in the blankets. He removed the dishes and washed them. He looked around the house, but he couldn't find anything else to do. He went out to the garage. Mac gave the Shelby an oil change, changed the gas filter and adjusted the carburetor until it purred. He cleaned and organized all of Jack's shelves and put the tools back in their places on the peg board. He smiled and turned off the light.

Sweaty and grimy, Mac took a quick shower and changed into some clothes he had commandeered from Jack a long time ago. He went into the living room and sat in the recliner watching Jack sleep. Mac sighed. He was glad to finally be able to help his friend. Not that he ever wanted Jack to get hurt, but rare was the time that Jack allowed someone to help him. Mac sighed. It was just a mark of how crappy Jack really felt. Mac felt a pang of guilt, knowing he was to blame for a lot of it.

Mac looked out the window at the overgrown lawn his mind planning how Jack would like it and how he could irrigate it using gutter run off. He laid back. He'd talked Matty into a week off for both of them. Jack would be content to watch Bruce Willis. Mac sighed, what was he going to do after the lawn and garden? He closed his eyes. Jack's gentle snoring lulled him to sleep.


	15. Episode 17:Ruler and 18:Flashlight

**Episode 17: Ruler**

Mac woke up yawning. He squinted at the alarm clock and blinked, trying to remember what time zone he was in. Looking around and seeing his own bed he relaxed back and ran his hand through his hair. He thought about the past three days-he knew he should be use to it, but a lot happened in three days. Disavowed, arrested as terrorists, skin of the teeth plan that despite everything somehow worked, then the plane home and a bonafide standing ovation from their coworkers at Phoenix.

Mat sighed. He thought of Bozer and his heart did a flip-flop. He slid out of bed and went looking for his roomie. He found Bozer sitting out on the deck staring off at the sunrise with dark shades on. Mac hesitated at the stillness of his friend, thinking the man was sleeping. Mac turned to go inside.

"Mornin' Mac." Bozer said. Mac quietly turned and sat beside Bozer and put his feet up. He squinted over at his friend and frowned. Bozer was in the same clothes he'd come home in.

"Did you sleep at all?" He asked worried. Bozer smiled over at him. Mac wished he could see his friend's eyes.

"Nah, my whole time system is messed up. I don't know how you keep from getting Jet lag right, left and center." Mac smiled leaning back closing his eyes.

"I guess I'm just used to it." He said enjoying the soft breeze and distant buzzing of passing cars. No matter where he went, and no matter how much he liked it-to quote Dorothy, there's no place like home. Mac turned surprised to see Bozer's thoughtful face studying him. Staring at his reflection in the man's shades, was a little disconcerting. He forced himself to meet where he estimated Bozer's eyes to be. Bozer looked like he wanted to ask something.

"What's up. Boze?" Mac asked gently. Bozer sighed and looked down at the deck.

"I'm sorry, Mac." Mac frowned and sat up in one fluid motion, leaning forward.

"What? Why?" He asked worried. Bozer smiled at him sadly and took off his shades. Mac felt his heart squeeze. Bozer's eyes were puffy and red-rimmed and not all from lack of sleep. Mac put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Mac offered. Bozer let out a breath and looked up at Mac.

"You know before we left for Amsterdam I fell asleep in the lab." Bozer began. Mac raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "I had this, daydream I guess. You guys were all in trouble, like Cairo trouble, and I drove up all smooth in my silver aston-martin, took out all the bad guys and didn't even wrinkle my tux." Mac smiled picturing it. "I woke up and complained that I was bored, I really wanted to go in the field, save lives, get chicks...I wanted to be you." Mac's eyebrows hit his bangs.

"Me? Get chicks? Boze…" Bozer waved his hand cutting off his friend.

"I know it's stupid, alright? I had no idea what it really was like." Bozer trailed off as he swung the shades in his hands. Mac waited. When it seemed like Bozer wasn't going to say any more, Mac said,

"Bozer, it's ok. No one knows what it's like until you're put in that situation."

"I know, I know. But when we were all freaking out you were sitting there like a rock…" He looked up surprised by Mac's laughter. Mac shook his head.

"I was freaking out too! You've known me long enough you know when…"

"See Mac, that's the thing, I don't!" Bozer stood up and started to pace. Mac frowned totally not following where Bozer was going. "When I learned the truth, when I saw you at work, in a firefight...I didn't even know you." Mac's eyes looked alarmed. He stood up. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Bozer continued. "No, I'm over that whole lying thing, Mac. I told you that. No...it's just putting together who I've known my whole life with who you are now, sometimes it scares me."

"I scare you?" Mac said his voice hesitant.

"No, of course not, what scares me is how you've changed. Even going back to the army, when you went in…" Mac's eyes filled with sadness. Bozer pointed at him. "That right there, that's what I'm talking about." Mac frowned confused. Bozer shook his head and sat down. Mac hesitated then sat across from him.

"You're gonna have to help me out here, Boze." Mac said. Bozer took a deep breath.

"When we were in the kitchen making putty out of tapioca, you said that on your best days you saved hundreds of lives and no one ever knew you were there…" Bozer leaned forward. Mac looked down uncomfortable under the weight of Bozer's look. "...but on your worse days you almost die alone." Mac fidgeted staring at his hands. "Mac?" Mac let out a deep breath and looked up, bracing himself.

"How many times have you almost died?" Mac let out his breath and actually tried to count, he shook his head.

"Honestly, Boze, I don't even know." Mac admitted.

"Doesn't that bother you? It bothers me, knowing my best friend was off who knows where doing who knows what suffering and alone…" Mac leaned forward and gripped Boxer's hands in his own.

"I know, I know." He assured. "I'm sorry I couldn't…"

"Tell me, I know Mac that's not the problem." Mac leaned back puzzled. Bozer sighed.

"I'm just saying you are so matter-of-fact about dying, so "oh well, it's the job…" Bozer stood up and began pacing. "When all of your lives depended on me...I almost couldn't stand it, the fact that it would be all my fault if you went to jail...or died."

"Well, it was kinda your fault we did go to jail." Mac said with a smile. Bozer rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Look, I know you more than anyone, except maybe Jack, but you keep so much of yourself closed off from both of us. You do it to protect us. You cut off emotions so you can go full Brainman and save the day."  
"Brainman?" Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Look I'm trying to be serious here." Mac sighed.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"No man, I'm sorry. I thought I could just show up, get on a plane and be you, you know come up with some sort of brilliant solution to any problem, be the hero, get the girl, have everyone cheer for me…" Mac smiled and leaned forward.

"Ok, a) I never get the girl, b) I don't come up with brilliant solutions to every problem, and c) today was the most anyone has cheered for me." Bozer looked at him thoughtful. Mac waved a hand. "Look, Boze, I'm no hero. Sometimes what I do works, and sometimes…" Mac's face took on a faraway sad look that made Bozer want to hug him, Mac looked down at his hands. "Sometimes it doesn't." Bozer sat back down.

"And when it doesn't, bad things happen to people like really bad things?" Bozer whispered. Mac stared straight ahead for a long minute then nodded.

"Yeah, people die...or worse." Bozer frowned wondering what could be worse than dying. He shook his head not wanting to go there. Mac turned to look at him, "What's this all about, Bozer?"

"Mac, I know how much guilt you put on yourself when things go wrong. I got just a little look at the kind of pressure everybody puts on you, and I'm sorry for jumping in, especially when you told me to stay put. I guess I just wanted to be a hero, it never entered my mind that things could get so cock-eyed...I think I get a little of what would happen to you if I was ever hurt. I'm sorry." Mac looked at Bozer a long second, water pooling in his eyes. Bozer looked away staring into the lenses of his shades.

"You know, Bozer. If you had told me that fifteen hours ago, I would have been the happiest man in the world, knowing that you would stay back, be safe. But, now...Bozer that is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard you say." Bozer's eyes snapped up to meet Mac's with surprise. Mac smiled. He stood up and stood watching the beautiful dark pinks fading to pink roses. He took a deep breath. "See, I went all Jack Dalton on you. I wanted to bundle you up in bubble wrap and keep you on a shelf in the lab. Close enough to work with you and have fun, but not in danger." Mac turned eyeing Bozer.

"Now don't get me wrong I would still love to do that to you, I never want to see you get hurt, but by expecting you to never go into danger or take risks because you're worried about worrying me? That's no way to live, and I don't want you to. I want you to get into trouble just as much as you want to…" Mac smiled, "...and if you need help I'm here." Bozer stood up and hugged his friend.

"I admire that, I really do, but I can't promise the same...I mean yes I'll always be here for you, but the danger you go into, the easy way you handle things...damn, you are badass, but it's enough for me to fill my drawers. You scare me Mac, not because of how good you are, but because you don't know how good you are. You've come home with bullet wounds and broken ribs, concussions...with some really lame ass excuses by the way...and you would act like they was a torn fingernail, then go out and do it again."

Mac frowned, not sure how to take that.

"Look, I know it's the job, I know that you are great at it, but I don't want you to die alone in some godforsaken hole either." Bozer sniffed turning away. Mac patted him on the shoulder.

"I don't want to either, and I promise I always do my best not to let anything like that happen...but Bozer, I can't make a promise…" Bozer huffed and turned around giving his friend a bro hug.

"I guess you can only do what you can do, " he said, "Besides Jack's always there…"

"I hear someone saying my name?" Jack said walking outside carrying take out coffees and a bag of bagels. Mac and Bozer shared a smile and laughed. Mac slapped Bozer on the back.

"Yep, I always have Jack…"

"Damn right!" Jack piped up. Mac looked fondly at Bozer.

"...and you." He added. Bozer grinned and took a coffee he saluted "To heroes…"

"And friends…" Mac added. Jack raised his cup.

"Hell yeah!" Jack said, he grinned at the others, "So what trouble are we getting into today?"

 **Episode 18: Flashlight**

Mac glanced at his watch and sighed. He let the soothing song of the ocean fill him with calm. He leaned back his face angled toward the setting sun. He heard the distant chatter of couples and families passing and the hungry cries of seagulls. Mac knew he attracted attention, mostly because he was in no way dressed for the beach. He had on the same blue suit, slacks and shoes he'd put on when they'd gotten home from Hawaii this morning.

He had the been shooed out of the house and told not to come back until they called. Mac had wandered through the pier, venice beach, before settling on this more secluded stretch of beach. Mac looked at body surfers and others riding the waves. He knew from experience this was a great beach for good waves. Mac frowned, he wasn't sure how long it's been since he'd gone surfing. Honestly, he wasn't really good at it, but it was fun. When they first moved here, he and Bozer almost lived out here.

Mac sighed feeling a familiar weight fall on him. He felt it every birthday. Mac wished he had never agreed to let Jack throw him a party. At the time it had felt right, he had been given a chance most people get-life. Every soldier knows that normally you can't hear the bullet that kills you, Mac knew the physiological and physics reason why, but yesterday he not only could hear it, and see it, he knew its damn name. And standing there, waiting...Mac closed his eyes taking a steadying breath. Of course, he had trust in Jack and he was reasonably sure it would work, but the fact of the matter was he couldn't stand to see anyone get hurt by his plan. It was bad enough Kono got shot shoving him out of the way from the first bullet sent to kill him. Mac had done some really wild things, but standing out in the open waiting for the bullet to kill him, hoping like hell a thrown together theory would work out...Mac shivered and pulled his knees up, crossing his arms over them. So he had said yes, and he meant it. It was good to celebrate life, or at least the not losing of it.

Mac smiled at Jack's analogy of the sign in the plant saying 365 days no incident. As usual, in his hamfisted way, Jack was right. Mac's smile turned to a sad sigh as he watched one seagull glide across the bright oranges of the sunset. He could feel the beach cool as night drew closer. The waves were also growing in force, high tide was coming in. Mac did some fast mental calculations and he looked at his watch. He'd been gone two hours. He'd give them another hour, then go home regardless. Mac yawned. He really, really did not feel like partying-especially for his birthday, but he had promised. He also knew it was great for his friends who felt like they needed to do this for him. He shook his head, even though it made no sense.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

"Oh man that smells good!" Jack cooed as he walked into the kitchen. Bozer grinned as he pulled the 18 inch cookie out of the oven. Jack bent over to smell it. Bozer pulled it away protectively.

"Uh-uh, Jack, no drooling on it."

"How much longer 'til Mac comes back?" Riley said coming in from the deck nibbling a shrimp. Bozer stared at her, her long hair, her short black dress, her...He winced as Jack elbowed him hard. Bozer looked over and cleared his throat swallowing. The look Jack threw his way did not promise good things if Bozer kept checking Riley out. Jack turned sweetly to Riley.

"I told him we'd call." Jack opened his leather CD case and grinned pulling out his favorites. Riley leaned over.

"Dance hits of the '80s? What the hell is this, Jack?" Riley demanded. Jack took it from her and glared.

"What does it sound like? Dance music."

"From the age of the dinosaur." Riley countered. "Bon Jovi's greatest hits? Seriously."

"Do not knock Bon Jovi, they are a musical institution." Riley rolled her eyes.

"I thought we were going to get a DJ." Before Jack could say a word, she added. "A real DJ."

"There weren't any available…" Jack began.

"What he means is they are expensive as hell when they only have 24 hours notice." Bozer interjected as he put ingredients for the frosting for Mac's "cake" into a bowl.

"So you couldn't work out a deal like you did with Kamekona?" Riley teased. "Matty's going to kill you by the way."  
"No she isn't, give me that." Jack swiped Bon Jovi away from a chuckling Riley. "She's going to love it as much as we do, and just think no more of the same old cold meats on a tray with those stupid crackers, cheese, and impaled olives."

"I thought you liked the olives?" Bozer intergected. Jack scowled at him.

"That's not the point."

"You're right about getting kamekona to cater at the Phoenix, his shrimp is awesome." Bozer added fondly as he mixed the frosting together.

"Thank you, see." Jack gushed. Riley smiled.

"Ok you're right on that one, but this music...this is older than MacGyver is." Jack huffed.

"You're right. He can enjoy it like it's new." Jack countered. Riley laughed and leaned over the counter to sniff the cookie.

"Oh, Bozer, that smells amazing!"

"Yeah, Mac doesn't like cake." Bozer said. Riley and Jack stared at him open mouthed.

"That's not true, I've seen him…" Jack began. Bozer held up a hand, a serious look on his face.

"He likes cake, just not birthday cake, it reminds him too much." Bozer said.

"Too much of what?" Jack asked, he noticed Riley's sad expression and frowned. He didn't like not knowing something about Mac, especially when it involved someone hurting him.

"His dad left him on his birthday." Riley said. Jack's jaw muscle tightened.

"He what now?" Jack's eyes flashed with rage. He'd already hated what the dirtbag had done to Mac, but his birthday? Jack suddenly regretted encouraging Mac to open communications to the man.

"Yeah, Mac doesn't talk about it much. When he turned 10 he was having fun, a great birthday you know. His grandfather had put it all together, bonfire, scary stories, hell he even gave Mac his first swiss army knife."

"Really?" Riley interrupted with a smile.

"Sure, it only had five or six tools, and he broke it trying to get into the soda machine in the teacher's lounge…" Bozer drifted off with a smile. Jack shuffled and raised and eyebrow with impatience. Bozer didn't notice he laughed as he began to smooth icing on the giant cookie. "Did you know they have a lifetime warranty on those things?"

"I bet he gets a lot of use out of that." Riley snickered. She picked up a box of candles and carefully started pulling them out.

"So his dad?" Jack growled. Bozer nodded, licking the spoon as he tossed into the sink.

"Yeah, I guess he'd told Mac he'd be away on business and would come back that night and bring him a big surprise to make up for it."

"Big surprise alright." Riley said scowling.

"And the man never came back, never called?" Jack asked. He could feel his hands bunching into fists and his face flushing. Bozer shook his head.

"Not that I know of, but you know how secretive Mac is. They were all silent a long minute.

"Sometimes I want to drive over that man with a car." Bozer said, an edge to his voice the others had never heard before.

"I think I'd cut off his legs and arms." Riley said carefully laying down four candles. She glanced at Jack who just smiled. Riley shared a glance with Bozer and swallowed. They had no idea exactly what Jack would do to the man, but if the dark look in the older man's eye was any indicator it would be very long and very, very painful.

"Why only four candles?" Bozer asked Riley as he loaded the decorating tool with silver frosting. Riley smiled.

"For us and Mac, you know, his new family."

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac stood up and shook out his shoes. He shivered, the night was coming in cool. He slowly walked to the car. He had been chased by high tide over the last half hour, but had reluctantly taken any ground wanting to wait to the last minute before going back to his Jeep and heading home. He'd never gotten a call-yet, anyway. But he knew better than to give up and hope they had all forgotten the idea.

"Yo, Mac!" Mac turned and shaded his eyes as he watched Jack stroll toward him. The older man had two longnecks in his hand. Mac smiled accepting one he turned watching the surf.

"I didn't get a call." He said glancing at his phone. Jack shrugged and took a sip of his beer. Mac studied him, eyes narrowing. Jack saw the look and grinned.

"I just wanted to come get you myself, you know like one of those singing invitation things." Jack said. Mac raised an eyebrow and took his own sip.

"I think you mean singing telegrams, and if you start singing I am swimming back to Hawaii." Jack laughed. Mac let out a deep breath. "Bozer told you." Jack's grin evaporated.

"Yeah...hey man, I am so, so sorry about what your old man did." Mac snorted and shrugged taking another sip. Jack reached out grabbed his shoulder and spun him to face him. "Seriously, man. If I'd known what this would drudge up...I wouldn't have pressed so hard." Mac smiled and put a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"It's fine. It's good to celebrate life, right? And if I didn't want you to do it, I wouldn't have told you to do it, Ok? We're good." Jack nodded. Mac turned and slowly walked toward the parking lot. Jack watched him a long second, easily reading the reluctance in his partner's slow moves. Jack frowned. Mac was all for this party, but was dreading it too.

"So do you want to hear what I got Matty?" Jack said, catching up to Mac. Mac looked over at the mischievous smile and took a deep breath.

"No, I don't think I do." Jack, of course, completely ignored him,

"I got her a coconut bra!" He declared. Mac stopped and stared at Jack. Jack grinned and nodded. Mac shook his head and opened his mouth to say something only to shut it four times before he finally managed to speak.

"Why? Why would you do that?" Mac asked. Jack grinned.

"I know, right? It's perfect." Mac squinted at him.

"I don't think our Matty is the same Matty you claim to know, Jack. How….why…?" Mac shook his head and took a deep sip of his beer as he continued walking to the parking lot.

"Trust me, she's gonna love it!" Jack said rubbing his hands together. He finished his bottle and tossed it into the nearest trash. Mac stood watching out at the horizon where faint stars were coming clearer against the purple velvet of night.

"One of these days you are going to have to tell me about the history between you two." Mac said draining his bottle. He turned walking toward his jeep. Jack stopped him by pulling on his arm. Mac looked back surprised by the seriousness on Jack's face.

"Are you ok, Mac? Seriously? We can still call this shindig off." Mac sighed, his eyes growing far away.

"No, I think you're right, I think it is time to celebrate life...move on." Jack could still hear a little bit of the little boy in Mac's voice. Surprising them both, he leaned forward and wrapped Mac into a hug. Mac stared at him puzzled, then slowly returned the hug. They separated.

"You know you're never going to be abandoned like that again, right?" Jack asked. Mac swallowed, his eyes moistening. He smiled a small smile and nodded, unable to talk around the beach ball in his throat. He turned and took a few steps, "Oh and your Dad?" Mac turned curious, "Remember Uruguay?" Mac's face scrunched up. "I'll make that look like fun." Mac closed his eyes wincing as Jack walked up beside him. Mac shook his head, then smiled at Jack. He put his arm across his friend's shoulders.

"Thanks for the thought, buddy." Mac said.

"Oh it's more than a thought…" Jack said. Mac laughed as they headed home.


	16. Episode 19: Compass

**Episode 19: Compass**

Mac paced outside the doorway to the ortho wing at Phoenix Medical. He knew there really wasn't really any need for him to be here, but he had to make sure his partner was ok. Mac ran a hand through his hair. After Bozer and Riley had helped him pull Jack from the garbage disposal, Mac had splinted his friends forearm, then got him on an emergency exfil from Argentina. Mac and the others had to finish the mission and landed several hours after Jack.

Mac put his right fist into his left hand over and over as he walked. He took a deep breath. He'd heard it was an axial compression fracture. Good news, Jack would heal completely and quickly. Bad news it couldn't be casted or protected by anything more than a sling. Mac itched his forehead. He winced at the memory of Jack's howl of pain and flushed face.

The door at the end of the hall opened and a very tired Jack Dalton was being wheeled in a wheelchair back to his room. His face lit up when he saw Mac. Mac smiled back and bent to give the man a hug. Sally stopped to let them talk. Mac could feel her eyes raking him. He looked at her sideways, trying to ignore her. Jack smiled and pointed at Mac.

"He's afraid you're gonna make him stay." Jack said. By the enthusiasm in his voice, he'd been given some good stuff for pain. Sally patted Jack on the shoulder and smiled up at Mac.

"You are always welcome, Mac. It might to actually see you not bleeding for a change." Mac scowled.

"Don't worry, man. Nobody's staying, we're good to go." Jack went to stand up. Sally put her hand on Jack's shoulder hard enough to sit him back down with a surprised look on his face.

"And where do you think you're going, Jack Dalton?" Jack looked up at Mac silently pleading for help. Mac ducked his head trying to hide his smile. It was nice not being Sally's target for a change. The woman was evil.

"Well...I...you...I'm going home, you said I was fine."

"I said that you'll be fine after your mandatory physical therapy." Sally came around his side to face him. "And I will make it my personal mission to make sure you make it to every session, unlike some of our more...difficult patients." She turned to look pointedly at Mac. MacGyver gave her a wide "who me?" smile. Sally laughed.

"You and Dr. Bill can talk about leaving tomorrow, tonight we have to keep checking for inflammation and circulation."

"So not only no home, but no sleep either?" Jack said with a sad sigh and puppy dog look at Mac. Sally turned to roll him into his room. "But I'm the good one…"

"See you later, Jack." Mac called, Jack waved.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac was half way to Boston before he had a chance to put the tornado in his head into some sort of order. Mac looked out of the window. It was just dumb luck he had gotten a flight so soon, and he'd scored a seat in front of the emergency doors over the wings so he could almost stretch his legs. He only had his small go bag and his Mission City paper route bag he'd had since he'd done his paper route in junior high, and he was waved through security by special pass.

He rubbed his forehead. He didn't get any sleep last night. Jack had drunk texted-morphine texted? him three times. _Help they going to eat me! Send peanuts!_ And _Wasn't Jerry Seinfeld with us in Bogota?_ Mac had tried to answer and couldn't wait to see what was behind the texts, if anything. Truth be told, Jack got a little weird on morphine, happy as a clam and feeling no pain, but a little weird. Mac's smile faded.

He hadn't had a chance to talk to Jack since he was hurrying to get to Boston. Mac swallowed. A flight attendant leaned over to offer him a snack. He took some pretzels and sat back staring out a million miles past the cloudless blue sky.

He wished he'd gotten a chance to tell Jack he was going and that he was sorry about getting him hurt. Mac felt his eyes sting. _It's my job to ask if this is the right fit, maybe you need to be with someone who can speak your language?_ Mac cleared his throat and set aside the unopened pretzels. The idea of not having Jack...Mac looked down at his hands and he fidgeted with the crackling plastic pretzel wrapper restlessly.

It had been his fault Jack had gotten hurt, Mac knew, but to split them up? Mac wiped his eyes which were threatening tears. He sniffed and leaned against the window closing his eyes. And Frankie….He felt like his heart had been torn up by its roots and left out to wither. Frankie had been friend, mentor, support system, inspiration...and he had to admit, first serious crush. He had worked beside her for hours, reread her thick thesis nine times, been her lab lackey...for a scrawny kid from Mission City on his own for the first time, he had desperately needed her.

He pictured her smile, her snide remarks-especially about Smitty's lack of hygiene. Mac found himself chuckling under his breath at the memories. He let out a breath. He had just left without a word, like he'd put a pin on their relationship...he'd always have time later to explain...or maybe he was just afraid to disappoint her. When Mac had gone to MIT it was like Dorothy stepping into Oz. Others were able to understand what he talked about and actually valued his input. For the first time, he could stretch his mind, find answers to questions he didn't even know how to ask before.

It was amazing, in a lot of ways he'd found where he belonged. But it wasn't enough. There was something missing. He needed to be doing something not just thinking about it. He procrastinated on his research because, well it had been hard for him to settle on one area of concentration and everytime he did, he became bored or interested in another are. A dilettante Frankie had said, afraid of commitment, Smitty was always happy to add.

Mac closed his eyes. He remembered Gramps call. The old man had been perfectly calm, of course. After Utah beach, not much rattles you. But there had been a tremble in his voice, Mac had only heard when his Mom had died. Mac had a vague memory of the man who'd died, but Gramps had never told him the story of how the man saved his life. Mac wasn't sure what it was about that call-the connection like brothers these two men had kept even being out of contact for over 40 years? The idea he had to pay back the universe for this man because without him he would not have had Gramps? A need to be useful, help others?

Mac didn't know, but it had ended up being the turning point in his life. He had just packed up and left. He never thought of it as abandoning Franky or his MIT family, not really. But he couldn't face her, them. Mac was afraid of her disappointment, of her not understanding...how could she understand what he didn't? Then he met Jack and it felt like all of his pieces finally became connected into the place, the man he was suppose to be. And Matty wanted to break that up? And Frankie...gone?

Mac wiped away a tear that slipped down the corner of his left eye. The captain's voice came overhead. Mac yawned and looked at his watch. Doing some mental calculation he figured he'd have about an hour and a half to get to Frankie's memorial. Thirty minutes later, lost in memories and feelings he walked out the front entrance of Logan airport. He looked up and froze, smiling in surprise. Jack grinned at him dressed up in a chauffeur's outfit holding up a sign with Mac's name on it. Mac was glad his friend was here, and it cheered him up, but he suspected Jack was not quite free of the effects of morphine yet.

Mac layed on the couch staring at the dim cabin roof above him. He yawned wishing he could sleep. He looked at his watch but the numbers were too blurry and he wasn't sure which time zone he was even in. He and Jack had gone straight from Boston to Phoenix, got briefed now was on the way to Paris. And Mac had gone from Argentina to Phoenix to Boston yesterday. Mac sat up yawning again. Sometimes he wished they made mileage.

Mac got up and went to the fridge. He really wasn't hungry, he suspected his stomach was just as confused as he was, but he knew he had to eat something. He frowned at a chicken sandwich and balanced a Coke on his hand. He gracefully maneuvered through the cabin, snagging his tablet on the way by. He passed the others sleeping on the couches and sat in one of the seats in the back. He turned on the tiny light and pulled up Frankie's papers for the past six years or so. He munched on his sandwich and sipped his soda as he read. He found himself lost in the research, he could hear her voice in his head as he read.

"Hey." Jack said. Mac jumped and looked up. Jack walked stiffly around the seat Mac was in and plopped in the seat beside him. Jack had brought his snuggie. Mac grinned about to mention it when he noticed how tired and hurting his friend looked.

"Hey, Jack you ok? Can I get you something?" Mac asked worried. Jack smiled.

"Just took my meds, they'll take a bit to kick in."

"They aren't morphine." Mac said with sympathy. Jack nodded sadly. Mac smiled. "What was up with those drunk texts anyway?" Jack frowned at him.

"What texts? I wasn't drunk." Mac showed him the texts. Jack read them and laughed. "Those my friend are not my drunk texts they make a whole lot more sense than most of the texts I've sent drunk. Honestly, I have no idea. Just for convenience sake I'll blame it on Sally." Mac chuckled turning his tablet off and leaning back draining the last of the root beer. He stared off into space a long minute before he realized his partner was watching him with concern.

"What?" Mac asked.

"I noticed a distinct lack of sleep." Jack said. Mac sighed and waved his hand.

"I'm all screwed up by these different time zones."

"Are you sure that's all that has you screwed up?" Mac opened his mouth to protest then closed it. He shrugged.

"I don't even know, it's just been a lot the last few days." Mac said. Jack nodded.

"I hear ya."

"I mean first I get your arm broken, then Matty wants to break us up, then…"

"What? When did Matty say that?" Mac looked at him surprised.

"She didn't tell you?"

"Uh-no. Why would she something as ridiculous as that?"

"Because it was my miscommunication that broke your arm." Mac said, "she sort of said the same thing as you did, that maybe I needed to have a partner who spoke my language." Mac leaned forward looking down at the carpet. Jack frowned.

"Is that what you want?" He asked. Mac looked at him.

"Of course not, I already told you that." Jack grinned and relaxed back.

"Then don't worry about it, I won't let it happen." Mac felt like a weight had been lifted. He nodded. He started rubbing his hands together. "And…" Mac looked at him surprised.

"And what?"

"You tell me, that isn't the only thing bothering you. Is it Frankie? Mourning then rejoicing in one whole day-that's gotta be weird." Mac sat back and rubbed his forehead.

"Yeah, I mean when I thought she was gone…" Mac shrugged and rested his chin on his fist. "...and then she was back, undead...I mean it was great, better than great…" He shook his head and rubbed his hair running out of words.

"At least you got to tell her bye this time." Mac glanced at him then scowled. Jack leaned forward. "Why didn't you tell her why you were leaving to join the army?"

"Well, for one I didn't want to disappoint her...everyone had so many expectations of all the things I would do, all the amazing things I'd come up with...her most of all. I, I just didn't want to let her down." Mac shrugged, "And I'm not sure what I would have told her anyway. It's not exactly the direction I'd planned on going in my life."

"You ever regret it?" Mac shook his head.

"No, not really. Sure there are times when I wonder 'what if', but I was so unfocused at MIT...no I think I'm doing just what I should be." Mac said. Jack patted him on the back.

"I think so too." He said. Mac yawned, sat back and closed his eyes.

"Thanks Jack." He murmured.

"For what?"

"For being there, I'm not sure I could have done this without you." Mac felt himself drift away. Jack watched until the younger man's face smoothed and he started breathing deeply. Jack winced as he slipped off the snuggie and laid it over his partner. Jack smiled.

"Luke, I am your father…" He murmured softly. Mac turned and pulled the snuggy in closer. Jack rolled his eyes and went to lay back on his couch. He had some serious French flirting to do in the morning.


	17. Episode 20:Hole Puncher

**Episode 20: Hole Puncher**

MacGyver stared down into the swirling light reflections in the cup of black coffee. He was a lump of shadow staring up at himself. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He had spent a lot of his childhood in places like this one. Mac smiled remembering the times his mother and father would bring him, the smiling waitress always knew their names, always knew what they wanted before they had to ask. Mac took a sip of the bitter coffee.

The smell of coffee, the background buzz of conversations, the smell of home cooked food away from home, the warmth, somehow a mixture of taste, smell, memory and emotion each table a little world, the people in it living lives that you look at and wonder about. Mac stared out the big window beside him. Even at two am Los Angeles buzzed with life.

After his Dad left, Mac had gone to diners with Gramps. Mac smiled remembering the group of grizzled old men in WWII veteran hats and jackets sitting together swapping stories. Mac could never get enough of the stories. Gramps could tell stories that put you back in time, he told about how he'd met Mac's grandmother, the 'ruckuses" he and his pals would get into. Then the guys would inevitably start swapping war stories. They would laugh, somehow always remembering the funny moments...or maybe just trying to focus on them. After a story, they would all get quiet, look into their cups lost in their own moments for a time, then one would kick off a "hey you remember…" and on it would go.

Mac wouldn't understand the depth of those silences, the cost of that laughter until he had his own silent moments. Mac took a sip of coffee. He didn't normally drink black coffee, but the extra bitterness soothed him somehow. Ironically the last time he'd been here had been after the first time he'd met Murdoc. Then he'd been worried about Bozer, and was frightened that his best friend couldn't take the truth of who Mac was and even worse, the realization of what danger he brought to those around him. The bitterness churned his stomach. He had sat in this same booth, this exact same spot. Then Nikki had come in…

 _"You threatened my family, let me return the favor."_

 _"Mac, this isn't you."_

 _"Everyone has a dark side, you taught me that."_

"So here's where you hide out." Mac looked up at Jack not really surprised his friend had found him. The older man sat across from him, he looked tired. Jack took in the black coffee and raised an eyebrow. The waitress came over, she still smiled flirting for tips, but her smiled was worn, her step tired.

"I'll just have a coffee, darlin', black please." Jack grinned at the woman. Her smile sparked a little more. As soon as she was out of earshot, Jack turned back to Mac his face serious.

"Bozer was getting worried. He tried calling you a hundred times." Mac nodded.

"I had my phone off, I wanted some time to think." Mac said staring out the big window beside him. Los Angeles never slept, this part of the city was no exception. Mac watched as a guy and two women, probably hookers, went into the seedy bar across the street. Jack leaned forward drawing Mac's attention back to him.

"Thinking about what?" Mac took a sip of coffee and made a face at the sour burn coffee always left in his mouth. Jack scowled and leaned forward. "And since when do you drink black coffee?" Mac set the coffee down and started slowly turning the cup, but didn't answer. The diner was quiet, only two other people were in it, an elderly couple. They sat silently together reading different newspapers.

"Mac?" Jack said grabbing Mac's wrist forcing him to look at his partner. Still Mac didn't answer, he really didn't know how to put his thoughts into words.

"Are you afraid of going dark side? You know putting on the dark mask of a serial killer?" Mac raised an eyebrow, his mouth quirking in a half smile. Jack watched way too many movies. Mac shook his head.

"No...well, not exactly." Mac said quietly. His eyes drifted away. Jack squeezed the kid's arm.

"Then what, exactly?" Mac leaned forward, gathering his thoughts.

"I'm nothing like Murdoc." Mac declared. He stopped and Jack could see he was trying to sort through the mess in his head.

"But…?"

"I could be." Jack sat back snorting.

"Mac, you would never be like Murdoc! You don't have it in you. I told you this op was a bad idea…" Mac cut him off with a wave.

"No, not like that." Jack stared at him. Mac took another sip of coffee and winced almost painfully. Jack reached over and took the cup from his hands setting it aside out of Mac's reach. Mac let it go, he seriously had no idea why he was drinking it either. Matching his mood? His thoughts?

"Then like what?" Jack prodded. Mac could hear the impatience breaking through.

"Murdoc kills people for fun, I could never do that." Mac looked out a window, "but I almost strangled him the minute he pressed the right button." Mac met Jack's eye, "and I really wanted to." Before Jack could reply the waitress brought Jack's coffee. He smiled and gave a charming thank you. She had more sashay in her step as she returned to the counter. Jack leaned toward Mac sipping his coffee. He took a big sip and smiled, inhaling it a second.

"That's some strong coffee." Jack said, his face turned serious, "I get that after all Murdoc's done I don't think the world would have minded him being dead." Now Mac leaned toward Jack,

"That's not the point." Jack waited, "I haven't been thinking I'm like Murdoc, but what could make me like Murdoc." Jack nodded.

"What you did to the architect? You said you scared yourself."

"No...well yes, but not just that." Jack frowned. Mac continued, "The last time I was here I met Nikki." Mac looked down, he absently grabbed sugar packets and started fidgeting with them absently. Jack waited. He had a feeling he didn't really want to hear this story. Mac remained silent.

"So she came and threatened you?" Mac met Jack's gaze.

"It was after Murdoc first came for us." Mac could see anger blaze in Jack's eyes, "I know, I know I should have told you! "

"Setting that aside, for now," Jack growled "What does Nikki threatening you have to do with Murdoc, this time with Murdoc? Other than proving you have a weird magnetism for psychopaths?" Mac smiled, accepting Jack's humor as what it was, reassurance that Jack wasn't completely pissed with him.

"She came here to threaten me, " Mac confirmed, "and she brought a team…"Mac spoke faster as he saw Jack's knuckles whiten around his cup, "she said she came to warn me and she was right." Jack took another sip conceding that Mac had a point.

"And,,,?" Mac leaned forward looking at Jack. Jack frowned seeing something in Mac's eyes he couldn't put a name to.

"And I threatened her." Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Well that makes sense…"

"No, Jack. I threatened her family." Jack stilled, his heart thumping.

"Well, you had to get her off your back...you wouldn't have…"

"Yes, I would have." Mac said with a disturbing firmness. Looking into his friend's moon colored eyes, Jack felt a chill. For the first time, he saw what Mac was afraid of. Mac could have followed through, could have followed through.

"Only to protect others. I've done things I'm not proud of…" Jack began.

"No, Jack. Look, Murdoc pushed my buttons and I was ready to kill him, and what I did…" Mac's eyes took on a distant look remembering tying the noose, the man on the floor terrified, begging… Mac looked at Jack evenly, "...what I did tonight was...it was to help him too, right?" Jack nodded, beginning to see where Mac was going.

"You're worried you would cross the line if someone you care about was threatened and that scares you?" Jack summed up. Mac sat back and threw the sugar packets on the table. Jack thought a minute.

"I do think you would do something...serious if it came down to it, but I don't think you'd cross the line." Jack said thoughtfully.

"Jack, I attacked an unarmed prisoner just because he threatened my father...my absentee father!" Mac said, louder than he intended. The couple looked up at him. Mac nodded and sent them an apologetic half-smile.

"I think that proves you wouldn't ever cross the line." Jack said. Mac raised an eyebrow confused. Jack's hands started to move with his words as if trying to weave them into some sort of order. "You have a huge heart, Mac. Murdoc is a sociopath, a perfect manipulator...he pushed a button, everyone has them, kid. But look at what yours is? You worry about a father who abandoned you, on your birthday no less. Sure you're pissed at the man, I think anyone would be, but you still would protect him, no matter what it would take." Jack finished his coffee. Mac looked at his hands thoughtfully. Jack sighed pulling out a five for the coffee.

"Seems to me, that's what we've always been doing." Mac's brow furrowed. "Think of it, Mac. Why does a soldier go into battle? Why do they serve their country? Soldiers have to go and do things…" Jack's eyes looked at Mac sadly, "you know what soldiers do for their country. You've done things for your country, I have. We do things to protect the ones we love, and sometimes...sometimes those things are...really not good, ya know what I'm sayin" Jack was relieved to see Mac smile at him.

"I actually think I do." Mac threw down a five and they stood up. Jack took the time to go to the counter.

"Thank you, darlin' that was awesome, you have a great rest of the night." Jack drawled. Mac rolled his eyes. He stepped out into the cool night. He zipped his jacket and took a deep breath. Even though it had the smell of exhaust fumes and the alcohol across the street, it still felt fresh. Mac could hear the heartbeat and drunken shouts from the run down bar.

"Back in the day we'd be over there." Jack said. Mac smiled at him heading toward his Jeep.

"Some of us would be, Jack." Mac reminded him. Jack grinned, remembering some of the more seedy places he'd been.

"True, but you aren't a choir boy, either." Jack said. Mac rolled his eyes.

"Two times! Two times, Jack." Jack shrugged he opened his car door smiling at the remembrance of a hammered Mac dancing on the bar waving his shirt over his head.

"Hey Jack?" Jack looked up. Mac nodded.

"Thanks." Jack smiled.

"Anytime, kiddo, anytime. And anytime you want to do _Coyote Ugly_ again, I'm always here for ya, man." Mac huffed.

"Good night." He said as he got into his Jeep. Jack smiled as he drove off completely not bothered by the sharp point in Mac's tone.


	18. Episode 21: Cigar Cutter

**I feel so sad coming to the end of this! I feel like I have been actually living with the MacGyver crew for the last few months, sigh. Anyway, thank you for reading, especially those who took time to review. I believe my writing in general, and my Mac stories in particular have improved with each review. Thanks you for sticking with me, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I had writing it.**

 **Episode 21: Cigar Cutter**

Mac stared at the markings of the letter as he strolled out to the deck. It looked like it had been around the world a couple of times before it was returned. Mac hadn't wanted to write the letter in the first place, but over the past few months he had felt himself anticipating hearing from his dad, and his worry had increased with hints from Murdoc that something had or would happen to him. Mac sighed and looked out over the city.

He pondered going after the man, but at the same time told himself Murdoc had been messing with his head, as usual. But still the niggling feeling that something was wrong wouldn't go away. Mac frowned and began to pace slowly, looking at the letter. He was as torn about what to do about it as he had been about writing it in the first place, and he had to admit as conflicted as he felt about the man himself.

Over the years, Mac had raised his hopes. On the rare occasions when his dad had called, Mac had looked forward to seeing him for weeks...then nothing. Eventually he stopped trying to call, or taking the calls. He still felt the hurt and resentment, but what if something had happened to the man? Mac felt an involuntary spasm in his gut, chased by teeth of guilt. He was so lost in thought that Jack entering with rustling bads of food didn't register for almost a full minute.

Not that Jack noticed, he was busy pulling out Egyptian dishes. Mac frowned. Cairo day. The closest they had come to dying on a mission. Mac sighed, they celebrated staying alive every year, but it was mostly for Jack. Mac wished he had something else to focus on, he looked at the letter, especially while holding this letter. It felt like part invitation to a trap and part call for help spiced with all the hurt confusion he'd gathered over the years.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

"Go to medical, then get back here...and bring a mop." Jack grinned at Mac as they strode out of the war room. Mac frowned.

"What are you smiling at?" Mac asked sourly. He hurt everywhere, and worse his shirt was sticky with Bozer's blood. Jack reached over and put an arm over Mac's shoulders, he pulled Mac closer. Mac closed his eyes as the half embrace brought a bout of dizziness and shortness of breath. Jack didn't seem to notice.

"We survived man! Another Cairo day, and our last one…" Jack let him go and strode down the hall babbling about Cairo day and bad luck. Mac had to pause and lean a hand against the wall to catch his breath. Mac shook his head, then regretted the move finding himself leaning against the wall. After a minute, the world stopped pirouetting. Jack had gotten stopped by one of his tac team. It gave Mac a chance to catch up. Jack frowned and nodded as the man walked away.

"What's up?" Mac asked.

"Oversight needs a debrief."

"Now? Want me to go?" Mac said, Jack's face and head had some serious bruising. Mac was worried about the man. Jack huffed and looked at Mac. Jack's eyes were outright concerned as he looked at Mac.

"You need to get yourself to medical, you look terrible." Jack said. Mac gave him a tired attempt at a reassuring smile. Jack met his gaze seriously, "Promise me you'll go straight to medical. If you need help getting there, tell me." Mac rolled his eyes.

"I promise. And I'll get there. I want to make sure everyone else is ok." Jack frowned at the faraway look that entered Mac's eyes. Jack knew Mac was worried about who might have been hurt by the two explosions he'd almost destroyed the building with. Jack nodded.

"I'll be down in a few minutes, and you better be there. If you aren't and I have to come find you...it won't be pretty." Mac laughed weakly. He waved a hand as he headed toward the elevator.

"Go to the principal's office, Jack." Mac said over his shoulder. Jack watched him as he entered the elevator. He thought of blowing off Oversight, but then knew that would fall on Matty and the woman had enough going on. Once again, Jack was glad he hadn't gotten the promotion. He was perfectly content to remain number two on the roster, even if that meant he had to go deal with the suits. Jack huffed and headed up the back stairs.

He winced as pulled muscles and bruises protested. Adrenaline was wearing off, he was feeling the hurt of climbing these stairs how many times today? And fighting, and getting into two explosions, and...Jack sighed and forced himself into double time. He knew Mac had at least gone through all that and he had no tac protection gear. For the millionth time he wished he could talk his friend into wearing armor more often, it sure would make Jack's job easier. But Mac was a spy, not a soldier. What he had to do involved a lot of climbing into small spaces usually around dusty vents and the like, so Jack had relented. Deep down Jack thought it had to do with memories of being in the military and why he was so anti-gun. One of these days, Jack would get the story out of him.

Mac winced and opened his eyes. He blinked confused. He was on the elevator floor staring at the lighted ceiling. He moaned and slowly worked his way up to standing. He held onto the railing for dear life. Had he just passed out? Mac felt his side was wetter and warmer. He looked down and it took him a minute to realize that fresh blood had soaked through the legs of his slacks and there was a puddle on the floor of the elevator. He frowned and pulled up his shirt. He winced as it wetly stuck to his skin.

He saw a fairly deep smile oozing blood. Mac frowned. He didn't feel any pain. Or, he thought philosophically, it just blended in with the general misery he felt screaming from everywhere. He sighed. He had genuinely believed it had been Bozer's blood. In a way, Mac was relieved it was his and not his friends. The picture of holding Bozer's bloody belly, of the man screaming, of the frightened pale face... _Mac, I don't want to die._ Mac shook his head reminding himself his friend would be ok and Riley was with him.

Mac realized that the elevator had not moved. He looked at the floor number and rolled his eyes. He'd never pushed the button. He hit the button for B5 then leaned against the side of the elevator, he was so tired...Mac jerked awake when the elevator lurched to a stop. He blinked. He'd arrived. Slowly, keeping one hand to steady him against the wall. He turned the corner and saw a closet at the end of the hall where the entrance to medical should be. Mac leaned against the wall and wiped sweat off his forehead. He was wondering if he had blown up medical. He never felt the slap of tile against his face.

Jack stormed out of oversight with fury. The roundtable of idiots wanted him to explain how a fully armed small army had breached Phoenix. Jack really didn't think this was the time, but as patiently as he could went through the events, three times! He glanced at his watch. Almost half an hour! Jack's heart froze when the door opened and there was a heavy blood trail and a sizeable puddle of blood pooled on the floor. He told himself it could be someone else...but his brain replayed Mac being covered in blood. He had assumed it had been Bozer's. Dammit.

Jack looked at the number panel. The button pushed was B3, what the hell was Mac doing on B3? That's where maintenance, motor pool and the service staff's offices were. Jack shook his head with worry. He left the elevator and toggled his tac radio as he ran down the stairs. He wanted to leave the elevator open for medical.

"Medical emergency, B3 code red. Repeat code red." He leapt off the last four stairs and ran down the hall. Outside of the elevator was a blood trail matching the one inside the elevator. Jack's heart jackknifed. He ran around the corner and his worst fears were made flesh in the sight of his partner sprawled in a growing pool of blood. Jack ignored the stickiness as he fell to his knees beside the still form.

He reached down and huffed in relief. It was fast and weak, but the pulse was there. He looked the kid over and noticed he had pulled up his shirt. Jack gently rolled him over not liking how limp his partner was. He pulled up the shirt and winced at the long knife wound. When the hell had Mac gotten in a knife fight? Jack shucked his t-shirt and pressed it against the wound. Mac groaned and his eyes fluttered at the pain.

"I thought you were on your way to medical." Jack said gently.

"Turned into a closet." Mac mumbled. Jack looked up and raised an eyebrow. Sure enough there was a closet where medical would be two floors down.

"Bud, you're on the wrong floor." Mac slowly blinked at him processing this.

"...moved it.." Jack smiled.

"No, Mac, they did not move medical." Mac shrugged then winced, his eyes floating closed. Jack shook him gently. Mac's eyes popped open. He weakly glared at Jack.

"Gotta stay with me, bud." Jack said.

"..nt...ovng…" Jack frowned not liking the slur increasing in his partner's voice or the tremors he was feeling under his blood soaked hands. Mac's eyes were sinking when Jack heard the sound of pounding feet and the squeak of a cart's wheels. He breathed out in relief as a medical team headed by Sally the head nurse of Phoenix.

Jack smiled as she drew near. She must have heard the panic in Jack's voice and figured who the medical emergency was. Mac was one of her favorites, unfortunately the feeling was not mutual. When Mac's blurry eyes fell on Sally bending over him opening his shirt and attaching a heart monitor while a male nurse put on a blood pressure cuff and oxygen. His eyes widened and he actually tried sitting up or rolling away. Sally easily pushed him down. Mac gasped.

"Stay put, Mac. Let us work."

"No...yr...evl elf…" Sally smiled up at Jack.

"You're right, now stay put or you're going to get the really big needle when I put in your IV." Mac glared at her but didn't move. Jack shook his head, he really loved the woman sometimes.

"So what are you doing here?" She asked Mac conversationally to distract him as she pulled out an IV kit.

"...to mdcl.." Mac mumbled. Sally shared a worried glance with Jack. She turned to the other nurse.

"B/P 80/50, pulse 115." The man said as he taped a thick wad of bandages into a pressure bandage over Mac's wound. Sally looked up at Jack.

"Jake's on today, call and tell him to set up room six." Jack nodded grimly. Jake was the emergency surgeon, room six was a basic emergency surgical suite. Jack spoke quickly into the radio then turned back. Mac was out. His hair was slick with wetness and stuck to his scalp. Jack could see sweat running off of him and he was outright shaking. Sally moved the cart close, lowered it and locked the wheels. Jack bent and the three of them lifted Mac onto the cart. His eyes fluttered open. He looked at Sally.

"...alw...s...m...n,,,to...me." He whispered. Sally gently brushed his hair back and she helped the other nurse cover Mac and strap him in.

"It's my job to be mean, and you are my favorite." She said in a tone Jack had never heard from her. Mac's mouth twitched into a flash of a small smile. His eyes closed and he was out again. Sally thrust the thick plastic container of fluids into Jack's hands.

"Squeeze that." She demanded as they ran for the elevator. Jack nodded and did. There were a few people sitting in treatment cubicles and Jack was dimly aware of alarmed murmurs as they flew past. A group of nurses and doctors dressed in surgical scrubs met them. Sally started to rattle off medicalese as she handed off Mac. Jack felt the almost empty bag of IV fluids snatched from his hands then he was outside double doors watching tilt back Mac's head and run a tube down his throat. They cut off his clothes, rolled him onto his side and began draping him in green cloths. A kind set of blue eyes looked at him in sympathy as she closed a curtain in the room, cutting him off completely from Mac.

Jack turned around feeling exhausted and numb. Fuckiing Cairo day. The other patients came up to him as he passed, offering encouragement and patting him on the back, careful not to touch Mac's blood. Jack nodded his thanks, he appreciated it, but he just had to get out of there. He was almost at the door when a firm hand on the middle of his chest stopped him. He looked down at Sally.

"And where do you think you're going?" Jack thought about pushing past her, or stepping around her, but he just sighed knowing it was a lost cause. As officially the only one who could keep MacGyver under wraps she was an implacable force. Jack threw up his hands and scowled turning back into the room as if she had him at gunpoint.

"Mac's right you are mean" Jack groused.

"I get a lot of practice." Sally answered sweetly. Jack glared at her as she sat him down on a medical bed and started taking his vitals. If Matty couldn't break the Organization's soldiers they should send them to Sally.

Four hours later, Jack sat beside a sleeping Mac. The younger man was on a cart in recovery and the nurses were watching him on the monitor as he woke up from anesthesia. The second unit of blood was slowly dripping in along with antibiotics and other clear fluids in another IV. Mac looked pale, but not near as bad as he did. Sally came and pushed a button on the monitor. There was a whirr, ticking then beep. Jack looked up at the blood pressure. The numbers were higher, that was good according to Sally. She smiled.

"He should be waking up anytime now." She reassured him. He nodded at her and yawned. Jack was grateful Sally knew better than to tell him to go get rest. She knew there was no way he was leaving Mac's side.

"So where's my mop?" Jack turned surprised to see Matty approaching from the door. She wore a worried smile. Jack shrugged.

"You know how much we hate cleaning." He offered. Matty nodded and came closer. She took Mac's limp hand in hers. "They say he should be waking up anytime."

"I know that's why I came down." Matty eyed Jack with concern.

"I'm fine, Matty. Just some bumps and bruises." Matty nodded but didn't respond. Jack realized she already knew that. "Do you know how the hell he got stabbed?"

"I went over what video we could recover and saw a small part of him being attacked by Tennent." Her eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, he's being dealt with." Jack smiled almost feeling sorry for the man. He glanced at Mac, almost. "And Bozer's going to be fine. He went through surgery with flying colors." Matty chuckled, "Mac did such a good job stopping Bozer's bleeding he didn't even need a transfusion."

"Too bad he didn't use that glue on himself." Jack said.

"He's gonna be fine, Jack. Then you all are taking mandatory leave."

"I hope so," Jack smiled, "it's hard work taking out an army and stopping a plan to destroy billions."

"And blow up half the building." Matty added with fake sternness. They shared a laugh. "You guys kicked ass today." Matty said not even trying to cover the pride in her voice.

"It's what we do." Jack said shrugging. Matty nodded. Before she said anything else, Mac moaned and shifted, his eyes slowly cracking open. Jack stood and leaned over him. Matty moved to the other side of the cart.

"Hey." Jack said gently. He waited until Mac blinked several times taking in his environment, then swivelled his gaze to Jack. Mac smiled weakly.

"Hey...y...k?" Mac whispered hoarsely. Jack winced. Sally had adamantly told Jack no ice chips until Mac was completely awake. She did leave a green sponge swab dipped in ice water. Jack soaked it then gave it to Mac to suck on it. Mac's eyes met Matty's. After Jack took away the swab, Mac smiled weakly at his boss. "You...k? B...zer?" Matty squeezed his hand.

"We're all fine, Mac, and I'm glad you followed my orders to come to medical...after a few tries." Mac scowled and shot Jack a weak glare. Jack just shrugged.

"I didn't tell her, she already knew."

"I know all, " Matty leaned in and gave Mac a cold look, "and don't ever forget that." Mac smiled and his eyes sank closed. Sally walked over to take his vitals, his eyes opened and he scowled up at her.

"Wh..n...go….ome?" He growled.

"Later today...maybe." Sally said, smiling down at Mac, "depending on if you're a good boy or not." Mac glared at her with his 'I'm slowly lopping off your head' glare. Sally checked his IV and tucked his covers around him.

"...ate….yu…" Mac whispered. Sally tucked an errant strand of hair behind Mac's ear.

"I know you do, sweetie." She said turning and leaving. Mac followed her with a cold glare.

"E...vl….elf…" He muttered. Jack shared a smile with Matty.

"I don't know, Mac. I was thinking of adding a medical to your team, I think she'd fit right in." Matty said thoughtfully. She received the full Mac glare.

"I like her." Jack added, taking his turn under the glare.

"...ate...all...f...yu…"

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Riley roused as Mac and Jack walked into Bozer's room. She stretched and yawned. Riley's eye brows raised at the bouquet and vase Mac carried made out of duct tape.

"Wow, Mac that's awesome." She said. Mac shrugged then winced. He moved stiffly and looked pale, and a sizeable bruise marred his left cheek.

"It's all I could get my hands on in medical." Riley smiled and crossed to gently hug him, then she reached out and hugged Jack. Mac crossed over and put the 'flowers' on the window ledge. He sat down in the chair Riley had left. Riley didn't mind, the man looked like he was going to fall down. Riley would have been hard pressed to pick out who looked more exhausted between Jack and Mac, Riley yawned, hell between all of them, except maybe Bozer. The man slept soundly and looked oddly content.

"Here, Ri, we brought this for you." Jack handed over her go bag, a bag of food and a huge shopping sack full of the Dallas Cowboys snuggie Mac had given Jack for Christmas. Riley smiled. Jack noticed there was a layer of sadness under the smile. He bent until he met her gaze. "How are you?" He asked softly. She looked up and looked like she was fighting to keep herself together.

"I'm fine." She said, turning to avoid his gaze. Behind her Jack nodded his head at Riley, Mac's eyes brimmed with sympathy and he nodded. Jack took Riley's arm and tugged her toward the door.

"C'mon kiddo, you need a break." Riley's eyes flashed in anger and she pulled her arm away. Before either of them could start arguing, Mac spoke up in a soft voice.

"Would you mind giving us a minute?" He asked. Riley nodded and she left quietly. Jack shot his friend a grateful smile. He lead Riley to a nearby conference room. He had dropped everything off except the bag of food. Riley didn't really feel hungry but she found herself almost inhaling the food. Only after she had scraped every last bite up and was slurping the last of a huge soda did she feel Jack's heavy gaze. She frowned.

"I'm fine, Jack." She protested before he could say anything. He nodded.

"Oh, I know, Ri. Maybe I'm not fine." He said looking down. Riley instantly deflated. She realized that Mac having surgery after all that happened…

"Oh, Jack…" Jack held up a hand and leaned forward.

"I just want to tell you two things."

"Ok?" Riley was beginning to feel nervous.

"First, it's ok to not be fine. I know the first time I killed a man…" Jack stared off into space then he met Riley's pained gaze. "It hits you Riley, you'll think you're fine then bam you see it all over again...and again...and I hate to tell you, kiddo, that never goes away, you just kinda learn to live with it, eventually. You'll never feel good about it, and you'll always feel guilty in your heart no matter what your head or everyone else tells you. It makes you...older." Jack breathed out. "For what it's worth, I am proud of what you did." Riley stared at the floor. "I just wish you didn't have to do it, but kiddo it was you or him and I'm proud of you for choosing you. And when you don't feel OK, or fine...we are all here for you, got that?" Riley looked up, angrily brushing tears away before they could fall.

In that instant, Jack saw the child that stood up to him defiantly even while she cried and clung to him afraid. He smiled gently. "Secondly, Mac and me are going to be gone awhile, we're going to get rid of that stupid virus for once and all."

"How?"

"I'm not sure, but Mac mumbled something about Siberia." Jack said with a shudder. He hated the cold. Riley smiled. Jack wanted to walk over and hug the girl, but he wasn't sure where Riley was feeling on the spectrum of their relationship, so he nodded and stood up to leave.

"Jack…" He heard, he turned and found himself with a crying girl in his arms. He wrapped her in a hug and leaned his chin on her head mumbling soothing sounds. He let her get it all out. She pushed him away and turned around wiping at her face. Jack smiled, imagining the makeup she wore melting down her face. Jack didn't say anything only left and went back to Bozer's room.

Mac was sitting leaning his elbows on his knees looking at the floor. He looked up with a questioning eyebrow.

"She needs a minute." Jack said. Mac nodded. They stood watching Bozer sleep with a slight smile on his face. Jack smiled wondering what Boze was dreaming about. There was a step at the door and Riley came in. Other than a small sniff, there was no evidence she'd even been upset. Mac stood up and held onto the back of the chair pausing before pushing himself upright. Riley and Jack both took a step toward him.

"Riley, Jack told you we have to go?" He said tiredly. Riley nodded. Mac crossed to her, held her by her arms and looked her in the eye. "Take care of him?" Riley carefully hugged him.

"You know I will."


End file.
